


Blue Springs Bound

by TB80



Series: Blue Springs [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-17 11:18:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9321122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TB80/pseuds/TB80
Summary: Maggie brings Alex home to meet the family.Canon divergent. Written before season 2B.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I swore to myself I was going to avoid multi-chapter fics, but I'm apparently a giant liar. But this one is short-ish, so I'm considering it a compromise. Will be six chapters when it's all done (which should be soon, but again, liar, so proceed with caution).
> 
> Some poor soul agreed to beta for me, so you can thank her for all the correct comma placement, and exemplary contraction usage.
> 
> Comments and feedback are always welcome.

"Yeah Ma, I know. I will. Yes. Uh huh. I know. Ma, I know! Okay. Yes. Love you too. Tell Dad I love him too. Okay. Bye. Ma, I said I would! Yes. Bye. Uh huh. Ma. Bye. I really have to….Bye."

Maggie finally disconnected the call with a guilty sense of relief and flopped back on the couch. She felt almost as exhausted as if she had just had to run the department's yearly physical fitness test. She loved her mother, she really did, but sometimes talking to the woman could be extraordinarily taxing.

It didn't help that every time that Maggie got off the phone, she felt like the worst daughter in the world. She didn't call enough. Why didn't she visit more? Her aunts and uncles had been asking about her, why couldn't she make an effort to stay in touch? When was she finally going to settle down? She was too obsessed with her job, which of course, was far too dangerous, and wouldn't she consider something a bit safer? The litany of deficiencies was endless, and each one just added to the weight of inadequacy.

She wasn't proud of it, but to avoid the well-meaning lecture she knew she was bound to receive, she would often get "too busy" and "forget" to call home on a regular basis. Mothers had a way of tracking you down though. And while she could rationalize not calling her mother, there was no way she would survive the guilt if she ignored her mom's call.

So when she saw her mom's face flash across her screen, she had groaned to herself, but answered it she had. It had been over three weeks since the last call, and she had expected a lecture, which she had received. Usually her mother would hop from topic to topic, eager to fill Maggie in on all that had happened since their last call. This time though, her mother had had a singular focus.

_You have been dating that nice girl for almost a year, don't you think it's time that your father and I finally meet her?_

It wasn't that she didn't want her parents to meet Alex. At least, not exactly. It was just that for once, things were going so well that she didn't want to do anything to fuck it up. She had no real reason to suspect that her parents wouldn't get along with Alex. Alex was amazing, smart, funny, caring, excellent at her job, and she put up with Maggie. What was there not to love? Besides, her mom loved everyone, and her dad was more likely to stay quiet, regardless of how he felt.

So really there was no logical reason not to introduce them. Things were going well with Alex, and had been, for almost 10 months. Sure, they had had their bumps along the way, but they had always managed to smooth them out. It would have been a miracle if two career-obsessed women, used to answering to no one but themselves, hadn't run into a few snags. The hiccups had been minor though, missed dates, forgotten phone calls, arguments over whose turn it was to take care of dinner. Typical domestic squabbles.

Except, they were anything but typical for Maggie. Most of her relationships imploded long before arguments over who was supposed to grab eggs from the store so they could have pancakes for breakfast on their one day off, were ever even a glimmer on the horizon. Most didn't make it much past the last minute calls to cancel plans stage. But Alex got it, she understood, and for once, Maggie really began to think that maybe this time, just maybe, it could finally work.

She wasn't ready to commit to forever. She wasn't sure she thought forever was even possible, especially for her, but Alex made her think….maybe. Maybe she was wrong, and maybe a relationship really could last. Hell, she had already beat her personal record by almost two months, and that had been when she was still in college. Maybe forever was possible after all, and it gave her hope.

Hope was a funny thing. When you had something to hope for, you had something to lose. There was no reason to think that introducing Alex to her parents would change anything. And yet...

They hadn't really talked about the future. They were both so busy with their jobs, they were often lucky just to find the time to enjoy the present. If they were able to manage a few nights a week to spend together, they considered it a success. So when they had a night free, they would more often than not find themselves at one or the other's apartment. Maggie didn't really have friends she hung out with, and neither did Alex, with the exception of her sister and DEO co-workers. Maggie had met Kara of course, but Alex had never even hinted at wanting her to meet Eliza.

Maggie was irrationally afraid that any change to their routine would send the whole thing crashing down around her. While she was, mostly, no longer afraid that Alex was going to leave her at the first sign of greener pastures, Maggie was also aware that Alex had never really had a long-term relationship before. Maggie didn't want to rush her, or put pressure on her if she wasn't ready.

Hell, they had only finally exchanged keys two months ago, and that was only after Maggie had been delayed for over an hour, and inadvertently left Alex cooling her heels in the hallway. Maggie still didn't quite understand why Alex hadn't just left. But she hadn't, and Maggie realized that maybe it was time to exchange keys. It was a first for both of them.

Maggie was desperate not to screw this up. What if Alex thought it was too soon? They hadn't even told each other that they loved each other, though Maggie knew that's exactly how she felt. Alex was still so new to this, that Maggie didn't want to tell her, only to have the other woman feel pressured to reciprocate, or worse, obligated. If Maggie had learned anything about Alex over the last 10 months, it was that she was fiercely loyal, and she had an almost depthless sense of obligation and duty.

They had never even managed a weekend away together, and now Maggie was supposed to suggest their first trip be a weeklong visit to her parents? She was afraid that Alex wasn't ready for it. Shit, she was afraid she wasn't ready for it. She hadn't brought anyone home since college, and look how that had turned out.

Maggie shook her head. This was a bad idea. She knew that she had promised her mom, but she would just have to get over it. It was just too soon. Except, she had promised her mom she would at least ask Alex; her mother hadn't let her off the phone until she had. Her mother was wily that way. She knew that if Maggie promised, she would follow through. Maggie always kept her promises.

Maggie sighed and picked up her phone to check the time. She and Alex had agreed to get together at Maggie's tonight, and she was almost 45 minutes late. One of them was often late, and Maggie had learned to push down the worry that inevitably blossomed. Maggie had developed a new appreciation for the fear her parents must feel every day. She sent Alex a text, partly to confirm they were still on, and partly to make sure everything was okay.

Within a minute she received a succinct "Yes" in reply. She knew from firsthand experience that some people would be offended at such a curt answer, but Maggie knew that if Alex was late, she had a good reason, and yet she had still taken a few precious moments to respond, and alleviate Maggie's worry for her safety. It was a favor that Maggie was happy to return when Alex was in her position. When past girlfriends had sent texts asking where she was, Maggie had always gotten the impression they were more concerned about the cancelled plans, than her. With Alex she knew that wasn't the case.

To kill some time, Maggie rifled through her takeout drawer and grabbed an assortment of menus. She wanted to have them ready when Alex arrived, because she was sure the other woman would be starving. Getting too busy to properly eat was just another hazard of the job. They had learned the hard way that ordering ahead of the other's arrival very rarely worked out as intended. More often than not it resulted in cold takeout.

As she was debating whether organizing the menus by alphabetical, proximity, or food type was the most efficient method, she finally heard a key in the door and the deadbolt clicking over. Sighing in relief, she turned to the door, the menus dropping forgotten onto the counter.

Alex closed the door, all but falling against it, her state of exhaustion easy to see. Hurrying across the living room, Maggie reached out and relieved Alex of her small overnight bag. Tossing it quickly to the side, she placed her hands on Alex's shoulders, and turned her slightly, so that she could help her off with her jacket.

The jacket joined the bag, and Maggie was once again turning the exhausted DEO agent around once again.

"Alex, you look dead on your feet," Maggie scolded, running her hands up and down her arms, concern shining from her eyes.

"I feel it," Alex mumbled, all but sagging into Maggie's embrace. Maggie accepted Alex's weight, and wrapped one arm securely around her waist to make sure she didn't lose her grip. Knowing that Maggie had her, Alex went almost boneless and nestled her face into the crook of Maggie's neck.

Maggie ran her free hand in soft circles across Alex's back, just letting the other woman rest. "Why didn't you just call to cancel? You should have gone home to rest, you didn't have to drive across town."

Alex's breath, which was starting to slow into the deep rhythm that indicated imminent sleep, washed warmly across Maggie's neck. "I wanted to see you." Though Maggie couldn't see it, she knew her girlfriend had the cutest wrinkle between her brows. Maggie had learned that a pouting Alex Danvers was almost impossible to resist.

Maggie kissed the side of Alex's head. "I wanted to see you too, but I also don't want you to crash your bike because you're tired."

"Kara gave me a lift, it was quicker." Maggie rolled her eyes. She could only imagine the sight the two of them had made.

"What would the people of National City say if they found out that you used Supergirl as your own personal Uber?" Maggie asked with a laugh. Maggie felt Alex shrug.

"They'll get over it."

Maggie relaxed the arm she had around Alex's waist, and pulled back, but only so that she could lean in and kiss Alex softly. "Why don't you go grab a shower, and I'll order the food. You must be starving."

Alex frowned. "Are you saying I smell bad, Sawyer?"

Maggie raised her eyebrows innocently. "I would never say that….Even if it was true. But no, you just look like you need to relax, and by the time you get done, the food should be here."

Alex briefly looked like she may have wanted to argue, but the siren call of a hot shower clearly won out. "Fine." Alex leaned in to give Maggie one more lingering kiss before she bent down to grab her overnight bag. "Can you order from the Thai place? I've been craving spicy hot basil noodles all week, and there are no good Thai restaurants in my neighborhood."

"Of course," Maggie answered, already turning to sift through the menus that she had left on the counter. Alex smiled her thanks, and headed down the hallway towards Maggie's bedroom. The detective quickly placed the order, and offered the guy on the phone a hefty incentive to make sure their order was bumped up the wait list.

Hearing the shower turn on, she decided to set her small kitchen table to distract herself. The thought of joining Alex in the shower was extremely tempting, especially since it had been almost a week since they had managed to grab an evening together, but she knew if she did that, they would surely miss the delivery guy. Alex needed to eat, and rest, so Maggie was going to have to alter her plans for the evening.

The bribe clearly worked, because Maggie had just finished plating the takeout when she felt Alex's arms slide around her waist. She propped her chin on Maggie's shoulder and looked at the food appreciatively. "That was quick, and it looks amazing. Thank you."

Maggie turned her head and captured Alex's lips in a kiss. It really had been too long since she had seen her. "What can I say, I'm on a first name basis with all the delivery boys in a 10 block radius. You just need to use the right incentive."

"Mmmm," Alex murmured. "Should I be concerned?"

Maggie scoffed and looked offended. "I don't think you have anything to worry about." Maggie paused. "Though the pizza place on Grant did just get a cute new delivery girl…"

Alex pinched Maggie playfully on the side. "Jerk."

"I've been called worse," Maggie joked, though it was all too true. Maggie broke Alex's grip on her waist, and pulled her toward the table. Pushing gently on her shoulders, she directed her into one of the two chairs. "Sit. Eat." Maggie walked over to the refrigerator. "Do you want beer, or beer?"

Alex paused, as if giving the decision some thought. "I think I'll go with the beer."

"Good choice," Maggie praised. Reaching into the door Maggie retrieved two bottles and popped the caps. Setting one down in front of Alex, who had already dug into her food, Maggie took her own seat.

"You have a tough one today?" Maggie asked, as she started to eat her own meal. As much as she worried about Alex skipping meals, she was just as guilty of it herself. She was pretty sure she hadn't had anything since she grabbed a stale donut from the precinct around 2 that afternoon.

Alex hmmmed in affirmation. Maggie didn't push, and just waited. Not because Alex had a mouth full of food, which she did, but because she knew that Alex couldn't always share her work with her. It was something that had bothered some of Maggie's past girlfriends. She had never really understood until she found herself in their position. It was hard when your partner had a dangerous job, but you didn't know what types of dangers they were dealing with. Maggie had tried to get used to discovering new cuts and bruises on the agent's body, but it never really got easier.

"Yeah. We got a tip on a possible den of Skarforlts and we went to check it out." Alex rubbed absentmindedly at her ribs, and Maggie was sure she would discover a new mark on the redhead's body when they undressed later. "Those guys may look wiry, but they pack one hell of a punch."

Maggie fought back the urge to scold Alex for not calling in NCPD to help out. Establishing the boundary between their work and their personal lives had been the one constant source of friction between them. Maggie felt that she should be called in to assist on almost every case, and she didn't always understand why she wasn't. She knew logically that Alex's work and hers, while similar in some aspects, really didn't share that much official overlap. And it wasn't really even Alex's call, it was J'onn's. Still, it bothered Maggie when Alex would get injured on an operation and she felt like she could have been some assistance.

"Well if you play your cards right, there may be a rub down in your future," Maggie offered with a smile. She had planned on more than that, but it was obvious that Alex, while slightly rejuvenated by her shower, was too tired for what the detective had originally hoped for the evening.

"I think I'll take you up on that, Sawyer." Having sated the worst of her hunger, Alex leaned back in her chair and took a long pull from her bottle. "What about you? Anything interesting happen?"

Maggie shrugged. "Not really. National City has been quiet, almost suspiciously so, lately." Maggie knew that this was a good opening, but she found herself hesitating. Alex was clearly worn out. She should wait until her girlfriend was feeling better. It wouldn't be fair of her to spring this on her when she was depleted, and may feel compelled to say yes. Maggie knew that she was just stalling.

Maggie cleared her throat. "So um...do ah...DEO agents get vacation?" Maggie finally asked, her thumbnail picking nervously at the label of her beer bottle. She hadn't felt this nervous since she had asked Molly Nelson to senior prom. Maggie frowned, and considering how spectacularly poorly that had gone, probably not the best thing to think about right now.

Alex set her beer bottle down, and gave Maggie all of her attention. "I've heard rumors to that effect. Why, did you have something in mind?" Alex asked with a soft smile.

She and Maggie had discussed going away for a weekend before, but with their hectic and consuming work schedules, it had just never worked out. Maggie was sure that Alex thought that she was hinting at them finally taking that trip. In a way she was, but not in quite the way that she and Alex had originally imagined.

"My mom called me today," Maggie answered, instead of directly answering the question.

"Okay…." Alex responded, clearly not following.

"She wants me to come for a visit next month." Maggie worried her lip slightly. "She ah..she said….she wants to meet you," Maggie finally spit out. "She asked me to bring you home. With me."

"Oh." Alex answered, her eyebrows arching in surprise. Alex brought the bottle to her lips and drained the almost half-full beer.

Maggie took that as a bad sign. She shook her head, and waved off the suggestion. "You know what? Forget it. I'll tell her that you're busy. It's probably too short notice for you to get the time off anyway." Maggie sent Alex a reassuring smile. "She'll understand. It's probably too soon anyway," Maggie rambled.

Alex grasped Maggie's hand with a shake of her head. "No! It's not that I...I just wasn't expecting….that," Alex confided. She mustered a nervous smile. "Do you...Is that something you want to do? Have me meet your parents?"

Maggie could hear the thread of insecurity in Alex's voice, and she cursed herself for being an idiot. "Of course I do." Maggie shook her head. "I just didn't want you to feel like you had to if, you know, you didn't want to," Maggie explained.

"No. I do. I just...I've never met anyone's parents before."

Maggie sent her a crooked grin. "Well, we have that in common at least." Maggie squeezed Alex's hand reassuringly. "You don't have a thing to be nervous about, my mom is gonna love you." Just like I do. She left the words unspoken; she figured she had overwhelmed her girlfriend enough for one evening. "So you want to?"

"Yeah," Alex answered with a nod. "I mean, how could I turn down the opportunity to see where you grew up?"

Maggie laughed. "Well, it is slightly less exciting than watching paint dry, so don't get your hopes up too high. Are you going to be able to get the time off?"

Alex smiled. "Considering that I haven't had a day off in almost four years, I think I'll be able to convince J'onn that I'm due for a break."

"So I'll call my mom to confirm the dates? It's been awhile since I've been back, which she reminds me of constantly, so she was thinking a week?" Maggie phrased both statements as questions, wanting to leave Alex the chance to back out if she wanted.

Alex still looked slightly unsure, but she nodded her head. "Yes. Absolutely. It will be fun." Maggie wasn't sure if Alex was trying to convince her, or herself.

Maggie laughed. "You have clearly never been to Blue Springs, or you would not use that word, but it will be nice to see my parents again."

Dinner finished, and dishes loaded into the dishwasher, the pair would normally settle onto the couch to watch a few episodes of whatever show they were currently following on Netflix. Maggie made an executive decision however, and instead directed Alex straight towards the bedroom.

"Take your clothes off and lay on your stomach," Maggie instructed.

Alex looked at her with raised eyebrows, but nevertheless pulled her shirt off as instructed. "Is the romance gone already? Usually we have a bit more foreplay than that."

"Funny," Maggie retorted. She was usually happy to be right, but not this time. Few things could distract Maggie Sawyer from a topless Alex Danvers, but with a sympathetic grimace, she reached out to gently ghost her fingers over the purpling skin on Alex's ribs. Alex drew in a breath at the contact, and Maggie drew her hand away instantly. "Sorry. That must be tender."

Alex gave her a hooded look. "It is, but that wasn't exactly the issue."

Though she knew it was probably a bad idea, Maggie let Alex draw her in for a languid kiss. It had been almost a week, and she was only human. She knew she had missed Alex, she just hadn't realized quite how much, until this moment. Deepening the kiss, she unthinkingly grasped Alex's side. Alex drew in a sharp breath.

Maggie released her instantly, recognizing the sound for what it was. "Shit. I'm sorry." Maggie looked at her in concern. "Is that just a bruise, or did you crack something?"

"Kara assures me it's just a bruise." Maggie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Because of course Alex would just have her sister check, instead of going to an actual medical professional. Maggie knew better than to scold her though, since she was almost as bad, if not worse, when it came to herself.

"Well, regardless, you are clearly in pain."

Alex shook her head stubbornly. "I'm fine," she insisted. "It's been a week." Maggie knew she would deny it if confronted, but Alex Danvers, tough as nails DEO agent, had just whined.

Maggie leaned forward and gave her a kiss, being careful not to let it deepen. "Trust me, I know," Maggie assured her. "But you need to take it easy." Alex pouted, but Maggie held firm. "Now lay down on the bed. I did promise you a massage, and I think we can still manage that."

Alex grumbled, but also wasn't stupid enough to pass up the opportunity to have Maggie's hands on her body, even if it wasn't in quite the way she wanted.

While Alex settled onto the bed, Maggie retrieved the small bottle of massage oil she kept by her bed for just this purpose. Unfortunately, therapeutic massages were an all too frequent occurrence; for both of them.

Maggie straddled the back of Alex's thighs, and settled onto her knees, careful to keep most of her weight off of her prone girlfriend. She rubbed her hands together to warm the oil, before placing them gently on Alex's lower back. Running her hands slowly up Alex's back, mindful to keep the pressure to a minimum, she heard Alex let out a contented groan.

"That feel okay?" Maggie asked, though she was pretty confident in the answer.

"Mmmhmmm," Alex mumbled with a small nod, her face partially buried in the mattress. Maggie smiled at her fondly, and continued to stroke Alex's back with gentle pressure. This wasn't about working out knots, or easing tightness. She just wanted to try to ease some of the weariness from Alex's body, and hopefully get her to relax.

She had missed the feel of Alex's skin under her hands. Maggie continued the massage for another few minutes, until she recognized Alex's deep, slow breaths for what they were. She leaned to one side, to confirm. Alex was sound asleep.

She climbed off the bed, careful not to disturb her slumbering girlfriend. She went into the bathroom to wash her hands, brush her teeth, and strip off her own clothes, before returning to the bedroom. With careful hands, she worked the sheets down to the bottom of the bed. Leaving Alex clad in her loose sleep shorts, she pulled the covers up over her, and slid into the bed next to her. Settling onto her side, she reached out and rested one hand in the middle of Alex's back. She was asleep within minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

"You still with me over there, Danvers?" Maggie asked. Her girlfriend was being unusually quiet, and Maggie knew her well enough by now to suspect that she was silently freaking out.

"What? Oh, yeah..I was just," Alex gestured vaguely out the window. "Taking in the scenery."

Maggie took her eyes off the road to give her girlfriend a teasing smile. "Now I know you're lying. We've been on the road for 30 minutes, and the scenery hasn't changed for the last 28."

Maggie's parents, or more accurately her mom, had offered to pick the pair up from the airport in Lincoln. Maggie had declined the offer, figuring, correctly, that Alex was still a little uncertain about this whole meet the parents thing. Not wanting her mother to overwhelm Alex right after they got off the plane, and send her in search of the first flight back to National City, Maggie had decided to rent a car.

Plus, it had been almost five years since she had been home, and she had her own bag of mixed emotions to deal with. The roughly one hour drive, would give her just that little bit of extra time to gather herself.

Alex huffed, and closed her eyes briefly, before opening them to smile sheepishly at Maggie. "I may be a little bit nervous."

"Alex, you've fought super-humans bent on total global destruction, and won. These are just my parents."

"Exactly!" Alex cried.

Maggie laughed. "Babe, relax. You have nothing to worry about. My mom gets along with everyone."

Alex frowned. "What about your dad?"

"Like I said, my mom is gonna love you." Maggie said the statement in jest, but it held a kernel of truth. She hadn't wanted to freak Alex out, but she wasn't entirely sure how her dad was going to react. He had never really said anything, positive or negative, about her being gay. Knowing her dad wasn't the most talkative, she had taken his lack of condemnation, as a form of, if not approval, at least a form of acceptance. But she didn't exactly make it a habit to bring home women to meet the family, and she wasn't sure how he would handle having her, she grimaced internally at the word, "lifestyle", so prominently displayed in his home.

"Maggie…" Alex said, a thread of warning in her tone.

Maggie reached over and grabbed Alex's hand, bringing it to her lips to kiss her knuckles, before resting their joined hands on Alex's thigh. "Alex, I'm just kidding. You seriously have nothing to worry about." Maggie paused a beat. "Besides, even if they hated you, they would consider it rude to say so."

"Maggie!" Alex tried to jerk her hand, Maggie was sure to try to swat at her, but she held it pinned firmly in place.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist," Maggie said with a laugh. "You're adorable when you get all flustered."

"Maggie, I am not adorable. I am an elite agent for an intragalactic paramilitary organization. I know over 6 ways to interrogate a suspect using only my index finger, 8 ways to subdue a suspect while handcuffed, and 4 ways to kill a person without weapons."

"That's so hot," Maggie confessed. She wasn't joking. Knowing that Alex was such a badass, but that she also turned into a flustered, stuttering, mess at the prospect of meeting Maggie's parents, was an immense turn on. The dichotomy that was Alex Danvers was something Maggie thought she may be happy spending the rest of her life trying to figuring out.

Alex rolled her eyes, but the flush spreading up her neck, let Maggie know that she was secretly pleased by the praise. Even after almost a year, Alex seemed surprised that someone, that Maggie, actually liked her, and wanted her. Maggie could relate, since she still routinely had to pinch herself when she remembered Alex seemed to feel the same way about her.

Maggie ran her thumb over the back of Alex's hand. "Seriously sweetheart, everything is going to be fine, and if you really want to, we can find a place in town to stay." Maggie hoped that Alex didn't actually take her up on that offer, because unless things had changed drastically in the last five years, highly unlikely, there wasn't really any place _to_ stay.

"What? No, Maggie," Alex insisted with a shake of her head. "It's been ages since you've seen your parents. I'll be fine. It's good." Alex mustered a weak smile. "I'm probably just over-thinking it."

"You? Over-think? Never," Maggie deadpanned.

* * *

Maggie pulled the car to a stop in front of the modest, two story farm house. Gazing at the white clapboard structure, she was struck by both a sense of familiarity, and foreignness. Objectively, nothing about the house, and surrounding yard, had changed, yet none of it felt right.

She had barely turned off the ignition when the screen door was thrown open; the spring, well worn after years of use, not preventing it from bouncing solidly off the wall of the house. Her mom had been asking her dad to replace that spring for years.

She knew she only had a few moments. She turned to Alex. "I apologize in advance." Alex frowned softly in confusion, but Maggie knew that she would figure it out soon enough. Getting out of the car, and closing the door behind her, she leaned back slightly, and braced for impact.

She didn't have long to wait, since her mother had been making her way quickly across the hard packed dirt that had always served as their driveway. Her mother looked older, a little more worn around the edges, and Maggie felt a pang of guilt for staying away for so long.

She raised a hand in greeting. A wave? Really, Sawyer, she cursed herself. Why was this so awkward. "Hey Ma…" Whatever other greeting she had been planning was cut off as she was engulfed in her mother's embrace. Her mother's arms were wrapping firmly around her back, pinning her to her chest. She felt a kiss pressed to her neck, her cheek, the arms squeezed hard. Maggie momentarily stiffened, before sinking into the hug, wrapping her own arms around her mother just as tightly, tears inexplicably pricking her eyes.

It took her a moment to realize that her mother was talking. "It's so good to see you. You're father will be so happy. He's been so excited all weekend. Was your flight okay? No turbulence? I know that flying isn't your favorite. Remember that time we went to go visit Cousin Denise in Green Bay and we hit that horrible storm, and you threw up all over yourself? You never liked flying after that.

How was the ride down? I trust traffic was good. Where are your bags? Larry! Maggie is here, get out here and help with her bags! I swear, your father." Maggie was prepared to try to answer at least one of her mother's questions, when she felt the woman's focus shift over Maggie's shoulder. Sometime in the whirlwind of her mother's greeting, Alex had gotten out of the car.

She was standing by the passenger door, hands twisting nervously in front of her, eyes wide and uncertain. Maggie's mother put her hands on Maggie's shoulders, and pushed her to one side. She had a new target.

Smiling broadly, her mom started to walk around the front of the car, to a still slightly shell shocked Alex.

"You must be Alex. Maggie has told us so much about you. I'm Deborah, but everyone calls me Dee. I'm so glad you were able to make it. I have been bugging Maggie for months to bring you home to meet us. I told her if she wasn't going to come visit, then I was going to drag her father to National City."

"Hi," Alex said, with the same shy uncertainty that Maggie still remembered from Alex's confession in the bar. "It's nice to finally meet you Mrs. Sawyer." Alex extended her hand in greeting. Maggie briefly considered intervening, but decided that Alex was going to have to get used to it eventually.

As she suspected, her mom gave the hand one cursory glance, brushed it aside, and crushed Alex in a tight hug. "Nonsense. We don't really stand on formality, and you're practically family." Alex stood ramrod straight, clearly not used to being grabbed and hugged by complete strangers. Alex finally brought her hands up, and rested them somewhat awkwardly on Dee's back. After a few moments, when her mom still hadn't released her girlfriend, Maggie decided the time to intervene had arrived.

Maggie walked to the pair, and pulled her mother away. "Ma, let the poor girl breathe, you're going to send her running before we even have a chance to unpack." Alex gave her a grateful look, and Maggie winked in reply.

The mentioned of unpacking clearly jogged her mother's memory, and she looked back toward the house, hands on her hips. "Where is your father? Larry! Get out here!"

Maggie rested her hand on her mom's shoulder. "It's fine, Alex and I can get the bags. We only have one each."

"That's not the point," Dee huffed in irritation. Before her mom could yell once more for her wayward father, Maggie heard the squeak of the screen door hinge. Like with her mother, she noticed the passage of time on her father's features. There was more grey in his hair, and more creases around his eyes; his long hours in the sun taking their toll on his skin, and leaving it weathered, and deeply tanned.

"Hey, Dad," Maggie offered, again, with the same awkward wave. Unlike her mother, her dad did not rush across the yard to wrap her in an effusive hug. It simply wasn't his way.

"Maggie," he offered in greeting, his eyes flicking briefly to Alex, but not saying anything.

"Well, don't just stand there like stumps!" Dee broke in, annoyed. "You haven't see each other in five years." Taking matters into her own hands, Dee placed a hand on her husband and daughter's backs and pushed the two together.

Maggie gave her dad a resigned half smile. They knew resistance was futile. Maggie clasped her dad in a somewhat stilted embrace that ended far sooner than Maggie would have liked. Dee looked far from pleased, but was apparently willing to let it go at the moment; she had more pressing issues to attend to.

"Larry, get the girls' bags and take them up to the guest room. Girls, have you eaten? You must be hungry. Come with me. I made a stew earlier. Or I have some leftover roast chicken. Alex, do you like pie? I made an apple yesterday, but if you would prefer something else just let me know, and I can whip something up."

Her mom started walking toward the house, trusting that everyone would do as she had instructed. Maggie reached over to her stunned looking girlfriend and grabbed her hand, pulling her along.

"You doing okay?" Maggie asked quietly.

Alex blinked silently a few times, before clearing her head with a shake. "Yeah, I'm just...Wow, your mom is...Yeah."

Maggie laughed. "Now you know why I apologized."

* * *

"So Alex, Maggie tells us you're a scientist," Dee said. The foursome was gathered around the table for dinner.

Maggie felt a poke against her leg, and looked down to see the family's aged Bassett Hound, Gertie, staring at her imploringly. She ignored the soulful brown eyes, well used to resisting their plea for morsels of food.

"Yes," Alex answered with a nod, after swallowing hastily. "I work for an R&D lab in National City."

"That must be interesting," Dee offered with a smile.

Alex nodded her head. "It is. Definitely never a dull moment," Alex replied, sharing a quick glance, and a secret smile, with Maggie. If her parents even knew the half of it. Though it sometimes seemed like the worst kept secret, Alex's job was technically classified, so they couldn't tell Maggie's parents the truth.

"What kind of degree do you need for that kind of work?" questioned Larry, drawing Maggie's attention. She wasn't sure, but she thought she detected...something...in his tone. The only science her dad cared about, was the science involved in growing and maintaining the trees that were the lifeblood of the family tree farm. If she were an optimist, she may take it as him showing genuine interest in her girlfriend. Maggie had never been much of an optimist.

"I have a bachelor's in Genetics, a Master's in Mechanobiology, and a Ph.D. in Biomechanical Engineering." Maggie felt her eyebrows raise slightly. It wasn't that she didn't already know this about Alex, she did, but hearing it all laid out like that was still impressive.

Larry looked at Alex thoughtfully. "Aren't you a little young for all those degrees?"

Alex shrugged, tipping her head to one side. "A little, I guess. I managed to finish the bachelor's and master's in five years, instead of taking six or seven, so that sped things along a little bit."

"She's a nerd," Maggie told her dad, with a wink towards Alex. Leave it to Alex to be modest, her girl was a certified genius. Alex glared playfully in return.

"Doesn't seem like you two would have all that much in common," Larry said, breaking the moment between the two. Maggie looked at her father sharply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maggie asked defensively.

Her father shrugged. "Nothing. Just that you only went to college to get out of Blue Springs. You never seemed overly interested in school. Just seems like an odd match. Someone that has spent almost their whole life in school and…." he gestured toward Maggie.

"Gee, thanks Dad," Maggie retorted. "You know the dumb cop thing is just a stereotype right? Any others you'd like to get off your chest?" Maggie asked challengingly.

"Maggie, calm down," her mother interjected, well used to playing peacemaker between her husband and daughter. Alex remained silent, not feeling it was her place to get involved. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by that. Right, Larry?"

Larry shrugged, shaking his head. "It was just an observation." As apologies went, it didn't even register on the scale.

"Well, I think you girls make a lovely couple," Dee offered, smiling at the both of them, still trying to diffuse the tension. "Now Alex, Maggie mentioned you have a younger sister?"

The rest of the meal passed in relative peace, but Maggie's mood had been soured by her dad's comments. Since when did he have an opinion on who she dated? She wasn't one to share all of the details of her personal life with her parents, but she usually mentioned to her mom if she was seeing someone new. While her mom would sometimes offer sympathy when another relationship went down in flames, her dad had never made a peep.

After dinner they moved into the living room. Her parents settled into their matching recliners, while Maggie and Alex occupied the couch. Sensing a new victim, Gertie wasted no time in cozying up to Alex, resting her muzzle on her thigh. If Alex stopped in her absentminded petting, Gertie would nudge her with her nose, to remind her to continue.

Maggie reached across Alex's lap to stroke her hand down the dog's long ear. They had gotten Gertie when she was in her last year of high school. The puppy she remembered now had a muzzle of almost solid white.

"I can't believe how old she's gotten," Maggie said to her mom. Her dad grunted at the comment, but kept his eyes and attention on the TV which was showing the pre-game for Monday Night Football. Maggie would have offered a retort, but she caught Alex looking at her, silently asking her not to.

Maggie bit off a sigh. This wasn't how she envisioned her homecoming. She could think of only one reason her father was being such an ass, and she didn't like it. She thought that her parents, both of her parents, were okay with her being gay. Her mother was always the more vocally supportive of the two, but her father had never done anything to indicate that he didn't also support her. If she had suspected that he was harboring issues about her being with a woman, she never would have agreed to bringing Alex home for a visit.

"She is getting up there, but she still has some life left in her," Dee offered fondly. "The Johnson's dog had puppies a few weeks ago, and your father and I were talking about maybe getting one."

"You should," Maggie insisted. "Gertie would love that."

Dee shrugged. "Maybe. But we may also be getting too old to handle a puppy around the house."

Maggie laughed, shaking her head. "Mom, you act like you and Dad are 85, and you haven't even turned 60 yet. You guys should do it. I've missed having a puppy," Maggie said wistfully. They had always had dogs when she was growing up. But living in the city, and with her job, it made getting one not only logistically difficult, but potentially unfair.

"It's not like you would be here to see it," her dad said off handedly, still focusing on the game.

"Larry," Dee said in warning. "What about you Alex, any pets?"

Alex looked up from her concentrated focus on Gertie. "Oh, no, not me. We never had pets growing up. My parents were both too busy, and then once Kara came to live with us." Alex shook her head. "There were so many more important things to worry about. A pet would have just been another thing to take care of."

"That's a shame," Dee said sadly. "Every child should have a pet. And you and Gertie seem to be getting along quite well," Dee said with a fond smile.

Alex looked down at the dog, still stroking her ears gently. "She's sweet."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "You say that now, but now that she's figured out you're willing to cater to her, you won't get a moment of peace. She will trap you there and have you pet her for hours if you let her," Maggie warned playfully, though she was dead serious. The dog was a total glutton for attention.

"I wouldn't mind," Alex insisted.

"Well I would!" Maggie teased. "I'm not sure I like the idea of having to compete for your affections." Alex looked slightly flustered by the comment. Maggie snuck a glance to see if her father had reacted to the statement, but he seemed unfazed.

"So why are we in the guest room?" Maggie asked her mother.

Her mother looked at her questioningly, head tipped to one side. "I figured you and Alex would want to sleep together." Maggie refrained from making a smart ass comment. Barely. She was not above trying to mildly needle her father to get to the bottom of his attitude, but she figured Alex would kill her if she went too far. The stern warning glare she was getting from her girlfriend further confirmed that fact. Alex knew her too well.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks, but why not my room?" Maggie asked curiously.

Dee laughed. "I figured you and Alex would prefer not to share a twin bed. You know how long it takes your father and I to change anything around the house. Keeping up with the tree farm takes up most of our free time. It's still pretty much how you left it when you went away to college."

Alex seemed to perk up at this, and leaned forward slightly. "So to be clear, what I'm hearing is that upstairs there is a virtual time capsule into 18-year-old Maggie Sawyer?"

Detecting the playful gleam in Alex's eyes, Dee smiled. "Indeed there is. I think there may even be some posters left on the walls," Dee offered, her eyes twinkling mirthfully. Though Maggie had her father's coloring, she got her teasing nature from her mother.

"Oh, this I have to see," Alex insisted. She looked at Dee seriously. "Tell me you have baby pictures."

"You better watch it Danvers, or are you forgetting that I know your sister? I'm sure she would be happy to supply me with all sorts of embarrassing information," Maggie threatened playfully.

"Alex, Maggie was an only child. I have boxes full of them. I have an entire album dedicated to 'The Year of Flannel'."

Maggie groaned, burying her face in her hands. Why had she thought this was a good idea?

* * *

"Scale of 1 to 10, how much are you regretting agreeing to come home with me," Maggie asked. The pair had finally bade Maggie's parents good night and retreated to the privacy of the guest room. Gertie had tried to follow her new best friend into the bedroom, but Maggie had put her foot down. She may have to share Alex's attention with the dog, but no way was she sharing her bed.

"It's not that bad," Alex reassured her, walking over to her suitcase. She unzipped it, and started sorting through the contents. Maggie walked over and pressed herself against Alex's back, kissing her softly on the shoulder.

"So like a 7?" she queried.

Alex laughed, and turned to wrap Maggie in a hug. "It's fine. You were right, your mom is really sweet."

Maggie frowned. "I'm sorry my dad is being such a jackass. I don't know what his problem is." Maggie noticed something in Alex's hand, and frowned. "What's that?"

Alex looked at her curiously. "Pajamas?"

"Not that I don't adore your cute PJs, but why do you have them? I thought we were going to bed."

"We are," Alex answered. "And I was planning to do what most people do with them, and wear them to sleep in."

Maggie frowned, not liking where this was going. "Since when do we sleep in pajamas?" Ever since they had first slept together, Maggie had declared all sleepovers clothing free events. Alex had been all too happy to comply.

"Since we are staying with your parents." Alex answered, the look on her face telling Maggie she thought that was obvious.

"Why should that matter? There's a door," Maggie said, gesturing to said door.

Alex just shook her head. "It's not happening, Sawyer."

"What if I still want to sleep naked?" Maggie questioned stubbornly.

Alex narrowed her eyes, not backing down. "Then I understand that there is a lovely twin bed somewhere with your name on it."

Maggie scowled. This vacation was off to one hell of a start so far.

Maggie let Alex use the bathroom first, since she apparently had to go searching for something to sleep in. Her mother was true to her word, and she was able to find on old t-shirt and some shorts in her old room. By the time she finished in the bathroom, and returned to the bedroom, Alex was already in bed, the thick quilt pulled up to her chin. Maggie smirked, someone wasn't acclimated to November in Nebraska yet. She clicked the light off, and made her way towards the bed in the semi-dark of the room.

As soon as she slid into bed, Maggie scooted over and pressed herself up against Alex's back. She pressed a series of open mouthed kisses along her neck, her hand sliding around Alex's waist. Spending all this time around her parents had put a definite damper on her usually affectionate nature.

"Hey Maggie?" Alex asked, her breath hitching slightly when Maggie's hand found the edge of her shirt, and slipped beneath to caress the soft skin covering her belly.

"Mmmm." Maggie hummed in response, nuzzling her face into Alex's neck, and biting lightly. Biting, yet still careful not to leave a mark, since she knew from experience that Alex would kill her if she left visible evidence. That had been an awkward morning briefing at the DEO with J'onn and Kara.

"What are you doing?"

Maggie drew her head back slightly, sliding her hand down Alex's stomach, and beneath the band of her sleep shorts. "I know it's been a little while, but surely you haven't forgotten already," Maggie teased. Her fingers had barely brushed the top of Alex's neatly trimmed patch of curls, when her progress was halted. Alex grabbed her hand in a vice like grip, and withdrew it from her pants, rolling onto her side so she could face Maggie squarely.

"You can't possible think that this is actually going to happen," Alex said, looking at her incredulously.

Maggie frowned. Yes, in fact she did. "Why wouldn't it happen?"

Alex looked at her disbelievingly. "We're at your parents house."

Maggie looked around her. "So you said earlier. I thought this place looked familiar,"

she joked, leaning down to kiss Alex. She was stopped just short of her target by a hand to her chest.

"I am not going to...you know...with your parents right down the hall," Alex hissed quietly.

Maggie grinned at her. "I can assure you, it's fine, they won't hear a thing."

"That's not the point...Though, we will get back to that eventually...I just don't….It feels weird," Alex confessed, looking at Maggie apologetically.

Maggie sighed and flopped onto her back beside Alex, an arm thrown over her eyes. "So you're telling me that we finally managed to take a trip together, and that there's not going to be any sex. At all."

"I'm sorry Maggie. I know it probably seems stupid to you...I just….It's not something…" Maggie immediately rolled onto her side, and cupped her hand along Alex's jaw, feeling like an insensitive asshole.

"Don't you dare apologize," Maggie insisted, her voice low and intense. "If you aren't comfortable doing something, then you don't have to do it. I'm the one that should apologize for making you feel guilty about it." Maggie kissed her softly, letting the contact linger, but not trying to take it any deeper.

"Now roll over, I want to cuddle. I assume cuddling is still okay?" Maggie could just make out Alex's smile in the moonlight that lit the room.

"Of course." Alex rolled over, and Maggie once again scooted forward, snuggling up to Alex's back, one arm thrown over her waist. Alex laced her fingers through Maggie's and Maggie sighed in contentment.


	3. Chapter 3

Poke. Poke. Poke.

Maggie swatted at the offending digit, but she missed her target. Cracking her eye open, she gazed at a very alert, and fully dressed, Alex Danvers.

"Alex? What the hell are you doing waking me up at," she fumbled for her phone to check the time, "7:00 in the morning. We're on vacation."

Alex shrugged, looking somewhat sheepish. "My internal clock doesn't seem to care about vacation."

"Babe come back to bed," Maggie pleaded. Really, if she had to spend her precious vacation time in Nebraska, with no hope of a naked Alex, she was at least going to get to sleep in.

"I'm awake." Alex replied, running her hand through Maggie's hair. That was more like it. "And I was thinking, now that you're awake too…" Maggie practically purred when Alex started scratching her scalp lightly. "...that we could go for a run."

Maggie's eyes popped open. "Are you kidding? Tell me you're kidding." Maggie looked at Alex; she didn't appear to be kidding. For the first time, Maggie noticed that Alex wasn't just dressed, she was dressed in her compression pants and top. Maggie closed her eyes. "You're not kidding."

"C'mon, it's not that early. I actually woke up an hour ago, but decided to let you sleep in." The soothing scalp massage stopped, and was followed by another poke to her shoulder. "Now get up. We need to stay in shape."

"I know you haven't had one in awhile Alex, but you are doing this vacation thing all wrong. Since you've already put the nix on the most obvious way to spend one's vacation time, you can at least embrace the sleeping in part."

"Maggie, I can't just lay around in bed all day," Alex insisted.

"Really? Because I have firsthand knowledge that that isn't true," Maggie teased, enjoying the flush that spread up Alex's neck. Whether from remembering, or embarrassment, or a combination of the two, Maggie didn't really care. She loved getting Alex Danvers flustered.

"Yeah well, I think we've established that that won't be happening. At least not as long as we're.."

"At my parents. Yes I know," Maggie groaned. "This vacation sucks."

Alex stood up from the bed. "Are you going to stay in bed pouting, or are you going to join me on my run?"

Maggie considered her options. At this point, the chances of her actually falling back to sleep were non-existent, but to run on her vacation just seemed wrong to the detective. "I'm leaning towards the pouting."

"Okay. That's fine." Alex shrugged. "I thought that you would want to spend time with me, since we hardly ever seem to find two consecutive days together. But that's fine. I'll go by myself. Alone. I hope I don't get lost. Or attacked by a bear."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "You need to learn to quit when you're ahead, Danvers. A bear? Really?" Maggie threw back the covers, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "You're lucky your ass looks so good in those pants. Otherwise, you would be on your own."

Alex propped her hands on her hips, and scowled at Maggie, torn between being flattered, and offended. "Is that the reason you go running with me? To check out my ass?"

Maggie frowned. "Of course. Did you not know that? Why did you think I agreed to go running with you every Saturday?"

Alex tipped her head to the side. "Oh I don't know, maybe to stay in peak physical condition so you can excel at your job?"

Maggie shook her head. "Nope. That's just a nice side benefit." Maggie looked thoughtful. "Actually, thanks to your cute butt, I turned in my best time ever on the yearly testing for the mile run. I really should thank it properly." Maggie leaned forward to make good on her statement, but was halted when Alex placed her hand on Maggie's forehead and sent her tumbling backwards onto the bed.

"You have five minutes to get ready, Sawyer. Or me, and my ass, are going to leave without you."

* * *

Though she had grumbled about being woken up, as she and Alex settled into their familiar jogging rhythm, Maggie was glad that she had agreed to the run. Not that she really had that much choice once Alex had made up her mind. She didn't miss much about Nebraska, but she had forgotten just how peaceful the early morning could be when there was no rush of people getting to work.

"So this is a tree farm?" Alex asked, swiveling her head to take in her surroundings.

"That, or a really well ordered forest," Maggie teased. Alex bumped her shoulder, sending Maggie tumbling off her stride before she quickly recovered.

"I've never seen one before," Alex admitted.

Maggie grinned at her girlfriend. "Such a city girl. Have you seen a real forest? Been camping?"

"Yes, I've seen a forest, smartass. No on the camping. And Midvale wasn't a city," Alex defended.

"It was a beach town, and city adjacent, hardly the country." Alex dipped her head to one side, conceding the point.

"I have a hard time picturing you as a country girl."

"You and me both, Danvers. Which is probably why I had myself on the first bus out of here after graduation."

Alex looked at her thoughtfully. "You miss it?"

"Honestly? Not really. It's not that I don't have some happy memories of growing up here, but overall, I never felt like I fit. When I was finally able to get away, and meet people that were more like me, I never looked back."

"There was no one else that was…"

"What? Gay?" Maggie shook her head. "At least if there was, they weren't open about it. Small town Nebraska isn't really the place to fly your pride flag, especially not in high school."

"I'm sorry you had to experience that." Maggie cut a glance at Alex, and found her looking back at her with warm compassion. "I know it's not the same, at least not exactly, but I know how hard it was for Kara when she first got here. To hide who she was. To have to deny a big part of yourself just to fit in."

Maggie shrugged. "It's in the past. We all have shit we have to deal with. In the grand scheme of things it could have been worse. My parents, while not overjoyed, still stood by me. I met so many people that didn't have that."

Maggie shook of the negative thoughts. She didn't like to dwell on the past. It was done, and revisiting it served no purpose in her opinion. It was better to just put it behind her, and try to move on.

"Hey Danvers, hold up a second," Maggie called out, slowing her pace until she was walking. Alex pulled up, and immediately circled back.

"What's the matter? Did you pull something? I told you to stretch beforehand, but you were all 'Danvers, I got this.' Maybe next time you will..mmpphh."

Maggie cut off the mini lecture with a firm press of her lips. It wasn't that she didn't find rambling, concerned, mildly scolding Alex adorable, and oddly hot, but she had other plans for the woman's mouth. Alex cupped her hands around back of Maggie's neck, her fingers absently playing with the fine hair that escaped her ponytail.

Maggie pulled back, slightly breathless, and not from their recent run. "I thought that may shut you up," Maggie said, eyes grinning. She looked around thoughtfully, her hand running down Alex's back to rest on the top swell of her ass. "I would like to point out that we are not currently in my parents' house." She gave Alex a hopeful grin, making sure to flash both dimples; she knew Alex had a weakness for them, and she wasn't above using it to her advantage.

Alex pushed her away with a laugh. "Keep dreaming, Sawyer. If I'm not going to have sex with you in your parents house, what makes you think I would sleep with you in the middle of a field?"

"Technically, this is not a field. There are trees. Call me an eternal optimist."

Alex looked at her skeptically, her eyebrow raising. "I was thinking more delusional." Alex turned away and started jogging again. "C'mon, keep up Sawyer. We need to keep our heart rate up."

"That's what I was trying to do," Maggie grumbled, once again falling into step beside her girlfriend. "How about a wager?" Maggie knew how competitive Alex was, and she was banking on her inability to resist a challenge.

"I'm listening," Alex replied, and Maggie grinned. She had this.

"We race back to the barn, and if I win, you at least consider it." Maggie knew that Alex was the stronger runner, but she also knew it was only a half mile or so back to the barn, and she was motivated.

Alex squinted at her, clearly considering it. "And if I win?"

"Name it," Maggie replied instantly.

"I want to see those baby pictures."

Maggie looked at her indignantly. "Really, Alex? You could ask me for _anything_ ," she said suggestively, "and the thing you ask for is baby pictures? I don't know whether to be insulted or worried."

Alex smiled at her, and reached out to pat her cheek, made slightly more difficult since the two were both still jogging. "Maggie, let's be real. I think we both know I don't need to win a bet to get that."

Maggie frowned. "Okay, point. But still. Baby pictures?"

"Bet's a bet, Sawyer. Now see if you can keep up." Alex gave her a playful wink, and took off towards the barn.

* * *

"You cheated!" Maggie insisted, hunched over, gasping for breath and hands resting on her knees.

Alex had the nerve to laugh, sounding barely out of breath. "How did I cheat?"

Maggie glowered at her. "I don't know, but when I figure it out…"

"Don't be a sore loser, Mags. You should be used to it by now." Maggie squawked in protest, but Alex ignored her, looking around the barn.

"Let me guess, you've never been in a barn before have you?" Maggie teased.

"How'd you know?"

"Wild shot in the dark." Maggie supplied, walking over to Alex. "Would you like a tour?"

"Of a barn?" Alex shrugged. "Sure, why not." The tour was quick, because really, it was a barn, what was there to see?

Maggie pushed Alex up against a closed stall door, leaning in to press a kiss against her neck, still slightly damp from their run. Alex ran her hands over Maggie's shoulders, but didn't push her away. Maggie took it as a sign to continue.

"You don't give up do you?" Alex asked, breath hitching when Maggie found a particularly sensitive spot behind her ear.

Maggie pulled away and gave her a dimpled grin, before leaning forward to kiss Alex teasingly, biting lightly at Alex's bottom lip. "Do you want me to?"

Alex shook her head. "Not especially, no." This time it was Alex that closed the distance, claiming Maggie's mouth, and sliding her tongue to tangle with Maggie's. Maggie groaned lowly in approval, pressing more firmly against Alex, keeping her pinned to the stall door.

Maggie was just starting to think that maybe Alex would be willing to give a barn a shot, when she was pushed away.

"Did you hear that?" Alex asked, breathlessly.

Maggie shook her head, pressing another kiss to Alex's lips. "Didn't hear a thing."

"There it is again," Alex insisted, pushing more firmly at Maggie's shoulders. Maggie sighed, dropping her head onto Alex's chest in defeat.

"It was probably just a rat," Maggie answered.

"A rat?!" Alex asked, her voice pitching up.

Maggie pulled away and smirked at her decidedly freaked out looking girl friends. "This is what freaks you out?"

Alex shuddered. "Shut up, Sawyer. Or did you forget the time you thought a spider had fallen down your shirt? We should go."

Maggie shrugged. It was clear that despite her best efforts, she was just not going to get lucky on this trip. She grabbed Alex's hand and started to head towards the barn door, when she heard something that made her stop in her tracks. Cocking her head slightly to the side, she heard it again, confirming her suspicion. That wasn't a rat.

She dropped Alex's hand. "On second thought, I should probably check that out." Alex looked at her in disbelief. "If we have a rat infestation, Dad will want to know so he can deal with it," Maggie supplied, suppressing a laugh at Alex's look of utter revulsion.

Making her way to a stack of old hay bales in the corner, Maggie wished she had a flashlight. Even in the middle of the day the old barn was a bit dim and gloomy. Picking her way carefully through the maze of haphazardly toppled bales, she zeroed in on the sound that had drawn her attention.

She finally spotted her target, a small bundle of fur that must have fallen off one of the bales. Nearby bales had effectively created a small walled off section, which the animal had been unable to crawl out of.

"Hey babe, come here, you should check this out," Maggie called back to Alex, who had remained standing by the barn door.

"I'm good thanks," Alex called out.

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Stop being a wuss and get over here."

"What is it?" Alex asked, her voice decidedly closer.

Maggie reached down and grabbed the small animal. Picking her way careful through the bales she met Alex halfway. Alex spotted the small form that she was cradling to her chest, and Maggie watched as her tough as nails girlfriend practically melted.

"Ohhhh," Alex practically cooed, reaching out to stroke a finger, down the animal's back. "It's so cute."

Maggie looked down at the small kitten, probably no more than 6 or 7 weeks old, and shrugged. The small ball of black fluff was kind of cute, but she had always been more of a dog person. "Do you want to hold it?" Maggie offered, carefully detaching the small claws from her shirt and holding the kitten out. The small animal meowed in protest, thin legs pawing frantically at the air.

Alex quickly snatched the kitten away and brought it close to her chest, giving Maggie a mildly reproving look. The kitten immediately dug its claws in and tried to scale up the front of Alex's shirt. Maggie watched in consternation as Alex let out an honest to god giggle when the kitten nuzzled into her neck. Alex stroked her hands gently down its back, clearly enamored.

Alex continued her stroking, and glanced around. "What is he doing out here? Was he all alone?"

Maggie shrugged. "I didn't see any other cats around, but there may be. My parents will sometimes keep a barn cat or two around. I can ask my mom about it when we get back to the house." Maggie let Alex fuss over the kitten for another few minutes, but when her stomach rumbled, she decided it was time to head back to the house.

"Ready to leave your new friend and grab something to eat?" Maggie asked.

Alex raised her eyes quickly. "You're just going to leave him out here? All alone?" she asked accusingly.

"Uh...Yes?" Maggie answered, sensing like this may be the wrong answer.

"But, he's so little," Alex protested, once more looking down at the now contentedly purring kitten on her chest.

"Babe, he's a barn cat. Barn cats...live in the barn. He'll be fine," Maggie reassured her. Alex reluctantly set her new friend down, and after several failed attempts, with the kitten trying to follow Alex back to the house, they finally managed to get him to stay put. A feat only accomplished after Alex sat with him, a quick check had confirmed it was in fact a him, and stroked him until he fell asleep. When Maggie saw the look of longing that Alex sent the kitten as they walked away, she knew she was in trouble.

She knew that look. It was the look she reserved for those closest to her, the people she cared most about. Her sister, their friends at the DEO, and for some inexplicable reason, a certain NCPD Detective.

Entering the farmhouse kitchen, Maggie found her mother where she knew she would, standing at the stove and getting breakfast prepared. Dee turned to welcome the pair with a smile.

"You two are up early. I was wondering where you had gotten off to. Take a seat. I was planning on pancakes, Maggie's favorite, but if you want something else, just let me know, Alex."

Alex shook her head with a smile. "Pancakes are great, Mrs. Sawyer." Seeing the pointed look, Alex corrected herself. "Dee. Thank you. You didn't have to do this though. I usually just grab a coffee."

Dee scowled in disapproval and pointed her spatula accusingly. At Maggie. "You should take better care of her."

Maggie placed her hand on her chest, pulling out a chair to take a seat. "Me? What'd I do?"

"I taught you how to cook for a reason, Margaret."

Alex spluttered on the sip of coffee she had just taken. "Margaret?" she questioned, barely suppressing her laughter.

Maggie pointed a finger at Alex warningly. "Not a word, _Alexandra_." Alex scowled, but fell silent. Maggie knew how much her girlfriend despised her full name. She only associated it with parental scolding and not living up to their expectations. "And really Ma? You know how much I hate being called Margaret." Maggie shuddered in distaste.

"Well cook your poor girlfriend a decent meal every once in awhile and I wouldn't have to use it."

"Yeah, yeah," Maggie grumbled. "Hey Ma, what's up with the kitten out in the barn?" Maggie decided a change of topic was in order. She didn't need another lecture on how she needed to eat better, and apparently now make sure Alex ate better as well.

Dee turned back to the stove, tending to the first batch of pancakes she had poured onto the cast iron skillet. "Oh it turned up, maybe a week ago? I told your father about it, he said he was going to put some food out for it. Hopefully he makes it. It's been a few years since our old barn cat died."

"Hopefully?" Alex asked, her voice somewhat sharp.

Dee remained focused on her cooking, not picking up on the upset in Alex's tone. Maggie heard it easily though. She knew her mom was not trying to be insensitive. How was she supposed to tell Alex, sweet, caring Alex, who she suspected was already half in love with the small kitten, that her family just weren't cat people. That while they were content to let the animals stay in the barn if they were so inclined, they weren't pets, and if one happened to leave, or die, it didn't really make much of an impact.

Alex, who was looking at her with pleading, shining hazel eyes, asking her silently to fix it. It would take a stronger woman than Maggie Sawyer to say no to that look. Provided she even wanted to in the first place.

"It has been pretty cold lately, and with no litter mates." Dee shrugged. "We'll see." Dee plated the first batch of pancakes and set them on the table. She finally noticed the look of distress on Alex's face. "Alex honey, are you okay?" She turned to her daughter, seeking an explanation. "Maggie?"

Maggie reached over and grasped her girlfriend's hand, rubbing it soothingly. "Ma, I think I'll pick up some kitten stuff when Alex and I go into town later. I wanted to show her around a little bit. Maybe we can set up something for him in the mud room or something until he's a little bigger." Dee looked at Maggie in confusion. Maggie gave her a pointed look, and comprehension finally dawned.

"Oh. Sure, honey." Dee patted Maggie on the shoulder. "So what else do you two have planned?"

Maggie breathed in relief. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain the kitten's presence to her father, but at the moment she didn't care. Alex was looking at her gratefully, and worry was no longer clouding her hazel eyes. Her dad was just going to have to deal.

* * *

"So this is Blue Springs." Alex said, the pair walking down the small main street.

"Yup. This is it. Not much to see, even less to do," Maggie quipped. She wasn't quite sure what had compelled her to give Alex a brief tour of the town, but she had felt the urge to show her around nonetheless. "Not what you were expecting?"

Alex shook her head. "I honestly don't know what I was expecting." Alex looked around at the storefronts. "I can't believe there is an actual main street. It's like something out of a Hallmark Channel movie."

Maggie laughed. "Trust me, when I say it's not. It may look nice on the surface, but it isn't exactly the most accepting place," Maggie revealed, a tendril of bitterness in her tone.

Alex looped her arm through Maggie's, as they often did when walking together. For the first time, Maggie felt herself stiffening at the contact, and had to stop herself from pulling away. Alex must have felt the tension, because she looked at her in concern.

"Are you okay?"

Maggie nodded, trying to shake off her unease. "Yeah. Totally fine."

Alex frowned at her, unconvinced. "Is this not okay?" she asked, brows furrowed.

Maggie patted the hand on her arm, to reassure herself, or Alex, she wasn't quite sure. "It's fine." Maggie knew it was silly, but she could swear she felt the eyes of the entire town on her. Judging. She hadn't been in the closet since high school, but being back in Blue Springs had her slipping into familiar patterns.

The irony that it was her having the issue, and not Alex, was not lost on her. She had been concerned, early in their relationship, that Alex may have an issue being out, in public, since this was all so new to her. But Alex had seemed unfazed. While the opinion of her family was paramount, the opinion of strangers had never meant much to Alex.

And it wasn't really that she cared about what the small minds in Blue Springs thought about her, she didn't. There was just something about being back in this town, that brought all of those old behaviors back to the surface.

She glanced over to find Alex peering at her from the corner of her eyes, obviously still concerned. She leaned over and kissed Alex on the cheek. "I'm fine." She tugged Alex toward the local farm supply store, since there were no pet stores in Blue Springs. "Now let's go get some supplies to make your little buddy a bit more comfortable."

"Maggie, we don't actually have to do that. I was being silly," Alex insisted.

Maggie pulled Alex to a stop, meeting her gaze squarely. She tipped her head to one side. "Does the idea of the kitten, alone, in the barn, bother you?"

Alex furrowed her brows, and opened her mouth silently, before closing it. She sighed. "Yes."

Maggie smiled at her warmly. "Then we are going to go get kitten supplies."

* * *

The foursome was once again gathered around the table for dinner. Maggie realized she probably hadn't had dinner, with the same group of people, around a table, on two consecutive nights, since she had lived at home. She and Alex did their best, but work almost always prevented that type of regularity.

"Maggie, I've been meaning to ask you, is there anything you, or Alex, want special for the party?" Dee asked.

Maggie stopped mid-chew, and looked at her mother blankly. Her stomach sank. Surely her mother couldn't mean what Maggie thought she meant. Her mother sat staring at her, waiting patiently.

"Ma, tell me you didn't," Maggie groaned.

Alex looked between mother and daughter, not following the track of the conversation. "Didn't what?"

Dee and Maggie ignored the question, too locked into their own exchange. "Maggie, you haven't been home in almost half a decade," Dee insisted. "What did you expect me to tell everyone."

"Oh don't put it that way. You're just being melodramatic," Maggie huffed.

Dee looked at Maggie pointedly. "Has it, or has it not, been five years."

"You know it has," Maggie grumbled.

"Then I rest my case," Dee said with finality. "Really Maggie, did you expect you would just be able to come home, hide on the farm, and then disappear without seeing anyone?"

"Yes?" Maggie replied with a hopeful grin.

"They all miss you, Maggie. Will it really be so horrible to spend a few hours with your family? Who knows how long it will be until you visit again," Dee complained, doing her best to lay on the guilt.

Maggie sighed. "All right, all right. You've made your point, Ma."

It wasn't that she didn't want to see her family, it was just that they could sometimes be a bit overwhelming when they all got together in one place. She glanced at Alex, and wondered how the other woman would handle the gathering. Maggie knew that Alex's family consisted pretty much of her mom, and Kara. She had an aunt on her father's side, but hadn't seen the woman since she was a teenager. Maggie, who had grown up with them, could still sometimes find her family a bit much.

She smiled at Alex. "Bet you didn't think when I invited you home to meet the family, I meant every aunt, uncle, and cousin within a 50 miles radius," Maggie teased, but she wasn't really kidding. Her mother's family had been a prolific bunch, and the majority of them had stayed close to home. The potential for the gathering to be over 30 people was quite good.

Alex looked at her, eyes widening marginally. "You may have left out that minor detail." Alex mustered a smile for Dee, who was watching her closely. "I'm sure it will be nice for you to see everyone again," she offered diplomatically.

Maggie bit back a grin, knowing that Alex was doing her best to hide her unease. The woman would charge head first into a potentially life threatening situation, but would turn into a ball of nerves when it came to dealing with family situations.

Dee reached over and patted Alex's hand reassuringly, picking up on her uncertainty. "You'll be fine dear. Everyone will love you." Dee glanced at her husband, who had once again remained quiet throughout the course of the conversation. "Larry, wasn't there something you wanted to ask Maggie?"

Larry looked at his wife, his eyes flashing briefly in annoyance. "It's fine, Dee."

Maggie swiveled her attention between her father and mother. "What?"

"Larry just ask her," Dee prodded her reluctant husband. "You were complaining about it all last night."

"Seriously, what?" Maggie asked again, starting to grow impatient. Sometimes getting information out of her father was truly maddening. Maggie wasn't always the most forthcoming, but compared to her dad she looked like a positive over sharer.

Larry sighed, knowing that he might as well just give in, since history told him that Dee would not let it go. "Your mother and I have to go into Lincoln tomorrow to get supplies for the party."

Maggie frowned at her dad. "Okay?"

"I have a crew coming next week to do the first cut of the season, but I haven't had a chance to go out and tag yet. With tomorrow, and then the party, I may not have enough time to get it done before they get here."

"So you need me to do the tagging?" Maggie asked, not understanding what the problem was.

"I don't want to impose. I know you are on vacation, and I can't imagine that working the tree farm was on your list of things to do. Besides, what would Alex do all day? I'll figure something out."

Maggie shook her head. "It's fine Dad, Alex and I will be happy to help out." Maggie looked to Alex for confirmation, and received an imperceptible nod in return. Her dad wasn't wrong, tagging trees hadn't really been on her list of to-do's for this trip, but it may be fun. Plus, the temptation to see Alex kitted out in work clothes was too much to pass up.

Maggie saw her father look dubiously at Alex, and felt her hackles rise. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Surely you would rather do something else." Larry directed the statement at Alex.

"I would be happy to help, Mr. Sawyer. I don't have the first clue about what to do, but I'm sure Maggie will show me the ropes. She's a good teacher," Alex assured Larry, sending a knowing smile to Maggie. They both knew how much Maggie enjoyed teaching Alex new things, though they were admittedly usually a lot more fun.

"It can be pretty messy and boring work," Larry countered. "I can't imagine you are used to that sort of thing." Maggie narrowed her eyes at her father, detecting a small hint of censure in his tone.

Alex must have heard it too, because she gave gave Maggie a look, silently asking her to let it go. "I try to stay in shape," Alex replied. Despite her irritation with her father, Maggie almost found herself laughing at the massive understatement. "We'd be happy to help out," Alex insisted firmly, some of Agent Danvers' steel coming through.

"Well, if you two are sure…" Larry trailed off.

"We are," Maggie assured him with a nod. She wasn't sure what her father's problem was, but if he kept it up, Maggie was going to confront him about it. It wasn't that he was being out right rude to Alex, but she kept picking up on a host of subtle digs.

Like the previous evenings, the group gathered in the living room after dinner. Alex was sitting on the floor, rubbing the belly of a blissed out Gertie. Maggie noticed that her girlfriend kept looking towards the doorway, her attention clearly elsewhere. Maggie sighed, she supposed there was no time like the present, and her Dad was going to find out eventually.

"Babe, if you want to go check on the kitten, go," Maggie insisted. As she anticipated the comment drew her Dad's attention immediately.

"The what?" he asked, sitting forward in his chair.

Maggie met her father's gaze squarely. Ready for a confrontation. "Alex and I found a kitten when we were out in the barn today."

Her Dad shrugged, settling back into his seat. "Doubt you would find it even if you went out there. They tend to be feral, and skittish."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we brought it inside then."

"Why'd you do that?" her Dad asked, attention once more focused on Maggie. "You know they aren't pets. They need to learn to survive on their own. Not much value in a cat that can't mouse."

"It's just a baby," Maggie explained.

"Never mattered before," her Dad replied.

"Well, it matters now," Maggie snapped. Larry looked at Maggie, and then to Alex, who was still sitting on the floor, clearly uncomfortable.

Larry snorted softly, and shook his head. "If she can't handle the thought of a kitten in a barn, how is she going to cope with you being a cop?"

It was one slight too many for Maggie, and she pushed herself to her feet, spoiling for a fight. "Alright, you know what. I have abou-"

"Maggie. Don't," Alex pleaded softly, getting to her own feet, and resting her hand lightly on Maggie's arm. Maggie shook off the hold, and turned back toward her father.

"No. He has had something on his mind since we got here, and I want to know what it is." Maggie glanced at Alex once more. "But you don't need to be here for this." Maggie turned to her mother. "Ma, can you please take Alex into the kitchen. I think Dad and I need to have a private chat."

"Maggie, I'm sure your father didn't mean-" Dee pleaded, ever the peacemaker.

"It's fine Dee," Larry responded, looking at Maggie steadily.

With obvious reluctance, Dee led Alex out of the living room with a quiet, "C'mon sweetie, let's go check on that kitten."

As soon as the pair was gone, Maggie whirled around to glare at her father. "So. Do you want to tell me what the hell your problem is? You have had some weird chip on your shoulder since we got here, and I am done dealing with it." Maggie continued on, not giving her father a chance to speak. "I know you weren't exactly thrilled when I came out, but I thought you were okay with it. If you aren't, please let me know, and Alex and I will leave."

"This isn't about you being gay," Larry answered, finally given the opportunity to speak.

"Then what is it about?" Maggie demanded, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I just wanted to make sure that…." Larry shook his head. "You haven't brought anyone home since-"

"That weekend in college. Yes, I remember," Maggie answered shortly. "You seemed fine then, so what changed?"

"None of your relationships seem to last that long," Larry said instead, changing the topic.

Maggie scowled. "Thanks for pointing out my spectacularly bad track record with relationships. I would think that finally managing to have one last, would be a good thing."

Larry looked at his daughter stubbornly. "I just don't want to see you hurt again."

Maggie looked at her father confused. "So, you decided that being a jerk to my girlfriend was the best way to ensure she doesn't dump me? Great plan, Dad," Maggie bit out sarcastically.

"It wasn't my intent to be a jerk," Larry insisted.

Maggie snorted. "Really? Because you have been doing a fabulous job of it so far."

"It's not easy, loving someone with a dangerous job. Your mother and I, we're your parents, we'll be here for you no matter what." Larry shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to make sure that she...wasn't going to run at the first sign of trouble."

Maggie sighed, feeling most of the anger drain from her body. Her father had gone about it in a horribly ham-fisted way, but she realized that he had only been trying to show that he cared.

"Dad." Maggie shook her head. "Alex is one of the strongest people I have ever met. I don't think my being a cop is going to scare her away." Maggie looked at him pointedly. "Or my father being a total jerk to her."

"That really wasn't my intent," Larry explained.

"Well, it may not have been your intent, but you did a good job of it." Maggie looked at him sharply. "I expect you to apologize to her."

"I will," he agreed reluctantly.

"And not say another word about the kitten," Maggie demanded.

Larry looked at her, mouth open, as if to object. He dropped his shoulders with a nod. "And I won't say another word about the kitten."

"And maybe talk to me next time, before going into overprotective Dad mode?"

Larry nodded. "I promise."

Maggie gave her father a brief hug. "Thanks for trying to look out for me. Even if you were pretty bad at it."

"You're welcome," Larry responded, patting her on the back. "Now, go find your girlfriend. I owe her an apology."

Maggie entered the kitchen, and was surprised to find only her mother. She looked around. "Where's Alex?"

Dee nodded her head towards the back door. "She wanted a breath of fresh air." Dee looked at Maggie in concern. "Did you and your Dad work things out? I hate it when you two fight."

Maggie nodded. "We worked it out. He was just being….misguided in his attempt to look out for me. I actually need to go find Alex so he can apologize."

Dee raised her eyebrows. "He admitted he was wrong?"

Maggie laughed. "I know, a first time for everything right? I'm gonna…" Maggie nodded toward the back door, not wanting to be rude, but needing to find Alex and make sure she was alright.

Dee nodded her understanding, and made shooing motions toward the back door with her hands. "Go, go." Maggie was just about to exit when her Ma scolded. "Don't forget your jacket!"

Maggie rolled her eyes, but grabbed the jacket off the hook by the back door. Shrugging into the coat, she walked onto the back porch, scanning the area for any sign of her wayward girlfriend. She spotted her standing in the driveway, not far from the back porch, looking up at the sky.

Maggie walked over and embraced her from behind, resting her chin on Alex's shoulder. "Hey."

"Hey," Alex responded quietly, resting her hands over Maggie's where they wrapped around her waist.

"You okay?" Maggie asked quietly.

Alex turned her head to glance at Maggie. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Alex motioned her head toward the house. "Is everything…."

"Everything is fine," Maggie reassured her with a soft smile. "It wouldn't be a Sawyer family get together if we didn't get into at least shouting match," Maggie joked.

"I'm serious, Maggie," Alex chided softly. "I know what it's like not to have...If the kitten is going to cause issues with your Dad, it's not worth it."

Maggie drew back, and pulled Alex around to face her. She dipped her head slightly, so she could catch Alex's downcast gaze. "Everything is fine. I promise." Maggie smiled at her reassuringly. "Turns out it wasn't about the kitten at all," Maggie confided.

Alex lifted her head. "What was it about?"

"My Dad's misplaced worry that you were as flaky as my previous girlfriends, and that you would leave me at the first sign of my job being too dangerous." Maggie laughed. "Couldn't exactly tell him that your job was even more dangerous than mine, and that you had already seen me kidnapped, beaten, and shot."

Alex smiled weakly. "Yeah, that would have been a bit tough to explain. So, everything is really alright?"

"Everything is fine." Maggie brightened. "In fact, I even got him to agree that he owes you an apology." Maggie held out her hand for Alex.

"Oh, he doesn't have to apologize," Alex protested, shaking her head.

"He really does," Maggie replied seriously. She led Alex back toward the house. "Besides, this is likely a once in a lifetime event," Maggie joked lightly. "No way is he getting out of it. I may even have Ma record it for posterity."


	4. Chapter 4

Maggie had never been one to play with dolls much growing up, but as she carefully selected clothes for Alex to wear, she thought maybe she was starting to see the appeal. Alex hadn't exactly planned on doing grunt physical labor on her vacation, and her packing choices reflected that. The jeans that Alex had brought would have to do, since there was no way any of Maggie's old pants would fit.

Finally selecting one of her old flannels, and an oversized barn jacket from her childhood closet, Maggie crossed the hall and let herself back into the guest room.

"What took you so long," Alex grumbled, looking less than pleased sitting on the bed in only her pants and bra. Maggie momentarily lost her train of thought, but was brought back to the present when Alex stood up from the bed and snatched the shirt out of her hands.

"Little bit chilly?" Maggie teased, watching her girlfriend jam her arms into the well worn shirt, and quickly button it closed.

Alex gave her a perturbed look. "It's freezing in here."

Maggie advanced. "Well you know, there is one way that we cou-"

A sharp rap on the door, and her mother's voice, interrupted her. "Maggie, you're father and I are going. Are you sure you girls will have everything you need?"

Maggie had gotten up before Alex, and spent the morning getting instructions about what needed to be done from her father, and slipping him a list of instructions of her own.

"Yes, Ma!" Maggie yelled in exasperation. You would think she hadn't grown up doing this kind of work. It may have been a while, but it wasn't exactly rocket science, and she had it covered.

"Okay." Her mother replied, voice muffled by the door. "But if you need anything, remember you can ca-"

"Ma! Go! We'll be fine."

"You don't need to be snappy. I was just trying to make sure you would be alright. I just love you and want to make sure you don't need anything."

Maggie dropped her head back, and started at the ceiling, praying for patience. It didn't help matters that Alex was not so silently snickering at her predicament. Maggie felt a twinge of shame about her impatient reaction. She knew that Alex and her mom had made progress in their relationship, but Eliza wasn't the type to dote and worry on her daughter like Dee. Alex had never said anything, but given how greedily she sucked up attention from Maggie, she had to wonder if Alex wouldn't mind a bit more from her mother.

"I know Ma," Maggie replied, her tone gentled. "But I promise, we're fine, and if I need anything, I'll call. You and dad drive safe."

"You girls be safe too," her mother replied, finally appeased. Maggie rolled her eyes. They were just going out to mark trees, which was nothing even approaching dangerous. Especially not when you considered their day jobs; not that she could tell her mother that.

Hearing her mother make her way down the hall, Maggie directed her attention back towards Alex, and frowned. In the time she had taken to convince her mother everything was okay, Alex had also donned the jacket. A less persistent, or hopeful, person, may have taken this as a sign that she should stop trying, but Maggie had never been a quitter. If not now, she swore she would get Alex out of her clothes at some point during this trip.

Alex smirked at her, seeming to know exactly where Maggie's mind had gone. "You ready, Sawyer?"

* * *

Alex stood, hands on hips, and looked at the line of trees before her. "So, we have to tag the trees, according to height, species, and overall aesthetic appeal."

Maggie nodded, fastening the tag belt around her waist. "Pretty much. We only grow Norway and Fraser though, so it's more about making sure you get some variety of height, and overall fill and quality, for each type. Dad likes to have an assortment so that he can offer trees at a broader price range. "

Alex frowned adorably, and shook her head. "Fake trees are so much less complicated."

Maggie laughed. "I think you'll be able to handle it, _Dr. Danvers_ ," Maggie teased, stressing Alex's title.

"I wasn't exactly studying dendrology."

"You can't turn it off can you?" Maggie asked fondly.

"What?"

Maggie shook her head. "Nothing." She leaned forward and kissed Alex quickly, unable to resist. She may tease Alex about being a nerd, but it was no secret that she also found it very hot. She pulled back, and pulled a section of the blue tags off her belt and handed them to Alex. "It will probably be easier if you just focus on one category at a time."

"I do have a PhD, you know," Alex responded.

Maggie laughed, well used to Alex's competitive streak by now. "You just said this seemed complicated."

"Yeah, well..I'm sure I'll get the hang of it," Alex replied, pouting slightly.

"Just take the blue tags, and put them on the Norways that are between 4-6 feet. Think you can handle that?"

Alex snatched the offered tags, looking genuinely offended. "Yes." She turned to face the trees, took a few steps, stopped, and turned back toward Maggie. "And the Norways are which ones?"

Alex did in fact get the hang of it. Maggie thought that Alex's determination to prove her wrong was a contributing factor. Regardless, she wasn't complaining. She may have teased Alex about not being able to handle the cold, but she had spent enough time in California that she was feeling the weather too. Plus, freezing her ass off tagging trees all day, wasn't exactly in her plan.

"Is that the last of them?" Alex asked, joining Maggie by the pair of ATVs they had used to make traversing the sprawling tree farm easier.

"Yup. All three hundred, tagged and ready to be cut."

Alex shook her head. "I still don't understand why people don't just get a fake tree."

"Alex, I just got my dad to a point where he thinks you aren't so bad. Please don't ruin that by saying that anywhere in his vicinity. He can only tolerate so much, and fake Christmas trees are not on that list."

Alex started to laugh, convinced Maggie was kidding. The laughing broke off when Maggie continued to stare at her, deadly serious. Alex swallowed. "Right. No mentions of fake Christmas trees. Got it." Alex wiped her hands on her pants, and turned to take in the hundreds of fluttering plastic tags. "So what's next?"

Maggie sidled up to Alex and wrapped her arms around her from behind. "Well I was thinking…."

Alex turned her head to the side, giving Maggie a knowing look. "Yes?"

"The house _is_ empty at the moment."

"It is."

"So maybe, we could…"

"Finally look at those baby pictures your mom mentioned?"

Maggie burrowed her face into Alex's back with a groan, squeezing her arms tightly around Alex's waist. "Not exactly what I had in mind, Danvers."

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" Alex's voice was dripping innocence, but Maggie didn't buy it for a second.

"Why don't we race back to the house, and you can find out."

Alex laughed. "Can't get enough of losing?"

Maggie scowled. Alex wasn't the only one in the relationship that had a competitive streak. "This one's mine, Danvers," she replied confidently. And this time she meant it. Alex wouldn't have her superior fitness, or height, as an advantage this time. The pair would be equally matched on the ATVs.

Maggie had long wanted to challenge her girlfriend to a race, but she knew it would not be prudent for an NCPD detective, and an agent for a top-secret government black-ops agency, to be caught drag racing their bikes through the streets. So she had put the idea on a shelf. Racing the ATVs wasn't quite as good, but it would be an adequate second best. If she knew Alex, and she did, the other woman would not be able to resist this challenge either.

"You're on, Sawyer."

The race was close, just as Maggie had expected. Maybe a bit too close. Because when she cut through a recently cleared and de-stumped section of the farm, the freshly tilled ground left muddy from a recent rain, she sent a spray of mud up behind her. Which normally wouldn't have been a problem. Except Alex was right on her, and she ended up with a face-full of the cold, wet, mud.

Maggie had a split second to decide. Stop or go. Maggie was a born competitor, driven to win, so it really wasn't much of choice. In retrospect, it might have been better if she had stopped.

* * *

"Alex, c'mon, are you really not going to let me in?" Maggie pleaded, resting her forehead on the closed bathroom door. "I did win. Fair and square."

"Fair and square!" came the muffled, and outraged, reply. "You cut through a mud pit, and blinded me. How is that fair?"

"I didn't do that on purpose! I had no idea the ground would be that muddy." Maggie traced a circle on the door with her index finger. "Although, since I was the one to get you all muddy, shouldn't I be responsible for cleaning you up?" Maggie figured it was worth a shot.

An inelegant snort was her only reply.

She really hadn't meant to douse Alex in mud. And yes, in hindsight, she probably should have stopped and offered assistance when she realized what she had done. The idea of winning, and finally being able to claim her prize, had clouded her judgment. For some reason it hadn't occurred to her that regardless of her winning, Alex was hardly going to agree to what Maggie wanted if she was trying to clean mud out of every nook and cranny.

Maggie sighed, defeated, and thinking longingly of those nooks and crannies. She was most of the way down the hallway, figuring she may as well head downstairs and check on the kitten, when Alex called out.

"Are you joining me or not, Sawyer?"

Maggie was not ashamed to admit that she spun around so fast that she may have strained her neck. A mild case of whiplash was well worth it. Alex had the door barely cracked, with just her head peeking out.

"I thought you were mad at me?" Maggie responded, already hurrying back toward the bathroom.

"Mmmm." Alex hummed, and Maggie wasn't entirely sure how to take that response. "I decided that you could help me in the shower to atone."

Maggie entered the bathroom, and Alex quickly shut the door to retain the steamy warmth. Maggie soon saw why that was important. Even caked in rapidly drying mud, Alex Danvers was a vision. Not one to question her good fortune, Maggie hurriedly began stripping off her clothes.

The sooner she got naked, she sooner she could get Alex into the shower, and get her hands on her. Which brought up an important point. "I don't see how this is atonement for me, but I'm not complaining."

Alex smiled. Only it wasn't the warm, gentle curve of the lips Maggie was hoping for. Instead, it was the ever so slight quirking of her lips that indicated the recipient was about to get a very unpleasant surprise. Maggie had seen it often enough in the field to recognize the look.

"You'll find out," Alex assured her, trailing her fingers teasingly over Maggie's exposed ribs. Alex pulled back the curtain, releasing a cloud of steam, and entered the shower, leaving Maggie to hurriedly kick of her pants, socks, and underwear.

Joining Alex in the stall, Maggie let out a sigh of appreciation when the steam enveloped her. She hadn't realized until this moment how deeply the chill had seeped into her muscles. It registered that Alex must have been even more uncomfortable after receiving her mud bath.

Maggie pressed herself against Alex's back, kissing her shoulder in silent apology. Maggie spread one hand across Alex's abdomen, but before it had a chance to wander, Alex was grasping it, and turning in the tight confines of the shower. Maggie thought her luck was finally turning around. She was wrong.

"Here," Alex said, handing Maggie a bar of soap, and a washcloth. "You'll be needing these."

Maggie looked at the two objects she now held. Usually when she took a shower with Alex, there was a decided lack of attention paid to actually getting clean. Soaping the cloth, she ran it across Alex's upper back. Alex sighed in contentment and tipped her head forward, exposing her neck. The pressure of the water had already done a fair job of removing the majority of the mud, but Maggie could still see streaks behind Alex's ears and clinging to her hairline.

Unable to resist the temptation, Maggie leaned in and placed a kiss on Alex's neck. To her dismay, Alex pulled away, and turned slightly to look her in the eyes. "I believe you have a job to do, Detective." Alex turned around once again. "Make sure you don't miss any spots."

Maggie frowned, but got back to work. The whole atonement angle was starting to become clear. Every time she tried, and she tried more than once, to escalate things, she was met with firm resistance, and a reminder to get back to work.

Maggie hadn't thought it would be possible to consider having her hands on naked, wet, Alex Danvers, a chore, but she was wrong. So very wrong. Finally being so close, and getting to touch her, but not being allowed to _touch_ her, was nothing short of torturous.

By the time she instructed Alex to tip her head back, so Maggie could rinse off the final traces of mud, Maggie was well and truly grumpy. Shared showers may sound romantic, but when your partner decided to hog the water spray, it was mostly a cold, and slightly miserable experience. Add in no small amount of sexual frustration, and Maggie was ready for it to be over. She soon got her wish.

"Thanks babe." Alex placed a light kiss on Maggie's lips. Maggie didn't even bother to respond, not wanting to be shot down again. Part of her was starting to wonder if she should be concerned that Alex seemed so easily unaffected by her touch, and presence. "Is someone grumpy?"

Maggie scowled back, not in the mood to be teased. "You've made your point."

Alex laughed lightly. "You have to admit you get a little too competitive sometimes."

"Me!" Maggie cried, outraged. "Are you forgetting who it was that elbowed me in the ribs last month when we played basketball?"

"You were crowding me," Alex defended herself.

"You almost cracked a rib," Maggie insisted. "And I don't recall you stopping the game to check on me."

"I called Kara to make sure you were okay."

"After you won! That hardly counts."

Alex bit her lip, looking genuinely contrite. "So maybe we're both too competitive," she finally conceded.

Maggie snorted. "Yeah, ya think?" Maggie scooted around Alex, finally claiming the water stream. "I'm gonna finish up in here, before the hot water runs out. Why don't you go get dressed, and I'll meet you downstairs. We can figure out something for lunch; I'm sure Ma left us choices."

Alex reached out, drawing a line down Maggie's chest. "You sure you don't want any help? "

"I'm already on borrowed time with the hot water, and if I let you help…" Maggie shook her head, not quite believing she was now the one refusing. She kissed Alex quickly, wanting to take any possible sting out of her refusal. "Go," she insisted with a push. "I'll be out in a few."

Maggie hurried through her own shower, the water just beginning to cool as she turned off the tap. After wrapping herself in a towel, she bent down to scoop up her and Alex's dirty clothes. Entering the guest room, she was vaguely disappointed to find it already empty. She dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, since she had no intentions of going anywhere for the remainder of the day. She fully intended to take advantage of the unexpected time without her parents. Especially considering what tomorrow was likely to bring.

Her foot had just hit the first stair, when a sound caught her attention. Reversing course, she entered her old room, and immediately grimaced at the sight before her.

"What did you find?" Maggie asked, reluctantly stepping into the room. Now that Alex had managed to gain entry, she suspected it would be difficult to pry her girlfriend away.

"Your Junior yearbook," Alex replied, eyes sparkling with poorly concealed mirth.

"Oh god," Maggie complained, collapsing onto the bed beside Alex. "I almost think I'd prefer you had found the baby pictures."

"Oh I don't know," Alex teased, glancing back at the book in her lap. "I think your bangs here were...kinda cute."

Maggie looked over, and groaned when she saw the picture in question. "Don't be mean," Maggie whined, trying to grab the book out of Alex's grasp.

"I'm not!" Alex insisted, jerking the book away before Maggie could gain possession. Alex tilted her head to the side, analyzing the picture from a different angle. "Maybe a bit...poofy."

Maggie gave up trying to get the book; Alex had superior reach on her, and unless she wanted to wrestle it away, it would be an easy task to play keep away. She flopped backward onto the bed, her head hanging slightly off the edge.

Alex continued to look around the room, soaking in all the details. "You were quite the movie buff," Alex commented, taking in the movie posters that adorned the walls.

"It was one of the only things to do," Maggie replied with a shrug.

"Charlie's Angels 1 & 2, Bring it On, Bend It Like Beckham. I'm starting to sense a theme."

"Would that theme be cute girls and movies with more than a little lesbian subtext?"

"That may be the theme I'm getting. Kissing Jessica Stein?"

"Yeah, I'm going to blame that one on me just figuring out I was gay, and latching onto any gay themed movie I could find. No matter how terrible."

"This has all been quite illuminating."

"Keep it up, Danvers. Just remember that turnabout is fair play, if we ever find ourselves in Midvale."

"Yeah well, my mom isn't really the sentimental type." Maggie bit off an oath, not for the first time silently cursing Eliza Danvers. How anyone, let alone her own mother, could have ever been so careless with Alex, even unintentionally, Maggie would never figure out.

Maggie reached out and scratched gently at Alex's lower back. Offering the silent support she knew the other woman would not ask for. "Well, Kara does, so I'm sure she has some treasures hidden away somewhere."

Alex lay down beside Maggie, nestling into her side. "I like your room."

"Yeah?" Maggie asked, wrapping her arm around Alex's back and pulling her in closer.

Alex nodded. "It feels like you." Maggie glanced around, not entirely sure how to take that statement. She had spent over half of her life in this room, and it almost seemed like a stranger's. She looked around at the remnants of her childhood, and tried to remember the person she had been. She could barely reconcile that person with who she was today. Yet, there was something about it all, that clearly resonated with Alex. Maggie wondered if she was given the chance, if she would feel a similar affinity for teenage Alex.

The feel of Alex's lips on her neck pulled her from her thoughts. "Whatcha doing?"

"You're a detective," Alex murmured, continuing to lavish attention on Maggie's throat. "I'm sure you can figure it out."

Alex snuck her hand under the hem of Maggie's sweatshirt, and cupped her breast softly. Maggie hissed at the contact.

"Shit, Alex, your hands are freezing!"

"Sorry," Alex mumbled, shifting her attention from Maggie's throat, to tug gently on her earlobe. Maggie shivered, and not from Alex's icy fingers.

Before she let her get too carried away, Maggie needed clarification. "I thought we weren't doing this?"

"Do you not want to do this?" Alex asked.

"What? No! Of course...I just…" Maggie pulled away so she could meet Alex's gaze. "You aren't going to change your mind, right?"

"I'm beginning to," Alex huffed playfully.

"No, no. We're good." To prove her point, Maggie leaned in and gave Alex a thorough kiss. "See? Totally into it." Maggie tried to shift her position, but it was difficult to gain the proper leverage with half of her body hanging off the bed. "Maybe we should..." She waved her hand along the bed lengthwise, indicating that a change in position would be to their benefit.

The reorganization process took a little doing, since room to maneuver was at a minimum. When Alex was finally laying with her head on the pillow, Maggie settled between her legs, upper body braced on her outstretched arms.

Alex reached up, brushing the messy, still damp, locks behind Maggie's ears. "Good?" Maggie asked, smiling down at her. Alex nodded, pulling Maggie down by the back of the neck to kiss her.

Maggie sank into the contact, letting her arms relax and resting her full weight on Alex. Alex welcomed the burden, tangling her hands in Maggie's hair, and pulling her closer. Maggie had just tangled her tongue with Alex's when she felt a pair of hands pushing on her shoulders.

"Wait, wait," Alex said breathlessly. Her face was flushed, her lips slightly reddened, and all Maggie could do was slump forward in defeat.

"You're killing me, Danvers," Maggie groaned, burying her face in Alex's shoulder.

"No, I'm not...The door...," Alex said, motioning toward the doorway with her head. "Can you close it?" she asked, her tone sheepish.

"Al, there's no one home," Maggie reassured her. Maggie sighed in defeat when Alex just continued to look at her pleadingly. Grumbling under her breath, she reluctantly pried herself away from her girlfriend and stalked over to the door.

Shutting the door, and turning the lock for good measure, she leaned back against it, and looked at Alex pointedly, hands on her hips. It took all of her self-restraint not to immediately rejoin Alex on the bed. There was something about seeing Alex sprawled across her childhood bed, looking flushed and rumpled, hair still damp, that stirred something deep inside. However, if she went over there again, she wasn't sure she would be able to pry herself away.

"Now we're good?" Maggie clarified. "You aren't going to need water? Or for me to pull the shades? Maybe lock the front door?"

"Maggie?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and get over here."

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Alex asked in concern.

"Al, I'm fine," Maggie insisted, setting their lunch plates on the coffee table a little gingerly. Her shoulder really did hurt like a bitch. Maggie watched as Alex tried to corral the tiny kitten, and keep it in the cage of her crossed legs.

Maggie had instructed her girlfriend to go check on the kitten while Maggie prepared a quick, albeit late, lunch. Between trying to prevent the kitten from escaping, and deflecting Gertie's persistent interest, Alex had her hands full.

"You sure? You hit the floor pretty hard."

Maggie settled on the couch, rolling her eyes, and grumbled, "Well if someone hadn't thrown me on the floor..."

Alex whirled around, kitten temporarily forgotten. "I didn't throw you on the floor!"

"Close enough."

"I was just trying to turn over. If someone hadn't insisted we stay on that tiny bed, we would have had more room, and that wouldn't have happened."

"No way was I passing up my one, and probably only, chance to finally christen that bed." Maggie rubbed absently at her shoulder. "Totally worth it," she concluded with a smirk.

"You're ridiculous."

"Maybe," Maggie admitted. "But you weren't complaining."

"Also insufferable."

"You know you like it."

"For reasons I have still yet to figure out."

"You know, since you are being so mean to me, I probably shouldn't tell you that you are about to lose your lunch. But I'm a nice person, so..." Maggie pointed over Alex's shoulder.

"What?" Alex spun back around, just in time to snatch her plate away from a sneakily encroaching Gertie. "Bad dog," Alex scolded. Gertie blinked back, brown eyes guileless. Alex set the plate in her lap to keep it protected from the Bassett.

"Uh, Al?" Maggie pointed toward her lap, where a small, black, ball of fur was trying to scramble up onto her plate. "If you actually want to eat your lunch, you may want to get up off the floor."

Alex looked between Gertie, and the kitten, uncertainly. "Will they be okay?"

Maggie nodded. "Gertie is a mush, she wouldn't hurt a fly. She's more likely to lick it to death than anything." Taking her at her word, Alex settled onto the couch beside Maggie. "First rule of living with pets, no plate is safe."

Alex looked at both animals accusingly. "I guess it's not all that different from living with Kara. Any food left unattended was fair game."

The pair ate in silence for a few minutes. Alex kept her attention focused on the kitten, but it quickly became apparent that Maggie's assessment had been correct. While interested in the kitten, Gertie simply followed it around and whined quietly, like a worried mother hen. She would occasionally try to give it a bath, earning a swat from tiny claws as her reward.

"You ever think of getting one?" Maggie asked, indicating the kitten. Maggie had seen the way her girlfriend looked at the kitten.

Alex shook her head. "No...Why would...I work so much." Alex replied, shaking her head again. "I don't have the time."

"It's a cat, they sleep like twenty hours a day. You should keep him," Maggie insisted, gesturing to the kitten that was currently trying to escape Gertie's attentions by scaling her father's recliner.

Alex looked at the kitten again, the longing clear for Maggie to see. Maggie thought she was going to agree, but instead Alex looked away. "It wouldn't be fair," Alex said regretfully. "I'm sometimes away for days at a time, with no idea when I will be back." The 'if I'll be back' was left unsaid.

Maggie reached over and rested her hand on Alex's knee. "Well, think about it. I can always swing by your place and check on him if you need me to."

"Yeah?"

Maggie smiled at her. "Of course."

Alex looked at the kitten again. "I'll think about it."

"You should name him."

Alex shook her head immediately. "Oh I couldn't...He's not even...He's your parents'."

Maggie laughed. "Al, they won't care. In all the years we have had cats in the barn, I don't think they ever had a name." Maggie knew that reminding Alex of the kitten's future, was more than a little manipulative, but she was also being honest. It was clear to her that Alex wanted the kitten, but once again, her overdeveloped sense of duty was preventing her from going after something she really wanted.

Maggie knew by now, that sometimes Alex needed to be prodded to do something for herself. She had spent so much of her life putting others first, that it was a reflexive action. Maggie had tried to break her of the habit, but it was slow going. If something as small as a kitten would make her happy, Maggie was determined that she should have it.

Maggie squeezed Alex's knee. "Just think about it."

* * *

Maggie was awoken by the sound of Gertie hitting the floor, hard, and the hurried clack of her nails as she made her way toward the back door. Maggie went to sit up, and found herself pinned to couch by the heavy, warm, weight of Alex.

After the exertions of the morning, they had decided to spend a lazy day on the couch. At some point they must have drifted off. Maggie smiled tenderly when she saw that the tiny kitten was nestled under Alex's chin, purring softly.

Running her fingers through Alex's hair, she made up her mind. One way or another, that kitten was coming home with them. She was confident that reluctance aside, Alex would embrace having a pet of her own. However, if Alex truly didn't want to keep the animal, Maggie would. Being around Gertie again, she realized how much she had missed having a pet. A cat wouldn't have been her first choice, but for the reasons that Alex had listed, a dog really wasn't an option.

She continued to stroke her fingers through Alex's hair, knowing that the action would eventually have the desire effect. She regretted having to wake her, but Gertie's mad dash signaled that her parents were back from their shopping trip. So it was either wake Alex gently, or let the coming commotion jar her from sleep.

It was only another few moments, and hazel eyes were blinking open, hazy and unfocused. Knowing that Alex sometimes had a tendency to jolt awake, due, Maggie was sure, to the nature of her job, the detective made sure to place a hand on Alex's shoulder, pinning her in place.

"Careful," she said quietly, "wouldn't want to send your little buddy flying." Maggie nodded her head towards the kitten, who was still blissfully asleep. Alex's brows furrowed in confusion for a moment, still shaking on the last vestiges of sleep. Her hand came up and touched the spot Maggie was indicating.

As soon as her fingers made contact with the soft fur, Maggie saw a tiny, unconscious smile form on Alex's lips.

"I guess we fell asleep." Alex stated the obvious, her voice raspy from sleep.

"We did, but my parents just got home, so our peace and quiet have come to an end." As if on cue, Gertie started up a sonorous barking in the kitchen. The kitten was startled awake, and Alex let out a hiss when tiny, sharp claws dug into the tender flesh of her neck. Maggie plucked the kitten up, and held it in one hand, arm extended out to the side. "Why don't you take this monster upstairs. If I know my mom, it's going to be crazy down here all night with her getting ready for tomorrow."

Alex righted herself, and reclaimed the kitten. "Is that going to be okay with your dad?"

Maggie waved off the concern. "He'll be fine. Go. I'll retrieve his things from the mudroom and bring them up."

Kitten situated, Maggie and Alex went to help Maggie's parents bring in and put away all of the supplies. Maggie was relieved to see that the items she had asked her dad to get for her had already been put elsewhere.

Maggie laughed when she saw Alex's eyes widen at the sheer amount of food and drink that had been purchased. "Kara would be in heaven," Alex said wonderingly.

"We'll have to invite her the next time," Maggie teased jokingly. It felt good to actually be thinking about a next time. To believe that in a 3 months from now, or maybe even a year from now, she and Alex would still be a them. It was something that Maggie had never really experience in her previous relationships.

"Even this may not be enough food," Alex replied, completely serious.

Dee, overhearing the conversation, interjected. "Oh, don't worry Alex. My sisters and some of the cousins are going to bring more food over tomorrow."

Alex's mouth gaped slightly, looking to Maggie for confirmation. Maggie gave Alex a wink before questioning her mother. "Geez, Ma, how many people did you invite to this thing?"

Dee turned away from the now half-empty truck bed, to glare at her daughter, hands on her hips. The universal signal of parental annoyance. "I invited the family. You know, the people who know and love you. Who have missed you terribly, and can't wait to see you again."

Maggie rolled her eyes, well used to her mother's attempt to lay on the guilt. "I know you invited the family. But are we talking aunts, uncles, and cousins, or…." Maggie let the statement hang. If her mother had limited herself to immediate family, the group would be mostly manageable.

"I put it on Facebook," Dee responded.

Maggie squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh, Christ."

"Maggie, language!" her mother scolded reflexively.

"Ma, that's…" Maggie shook her head and looked apologetically at Alex. "I apologize now, for what you are going to have to endure tomorrow."

"Maggie, they are your family. You shouldn't talk about them like that," Dee reprimanded.

"Ma, you know I love them, but you have to admit that they can be overwhelming at times."

"They mean well, and they love you," Dee insisted. "Maggie, can you get in the bed and pass me the rest of the food?"

"Where's Dad?" Maggie demanded, but crawling into the bed of the truck anyway.

"Your father is in the barn, getting things organized for tomorrow."

"The barn? Why does he need to get the barn ready?"

Dee turned her attention to Alex. "Is she like this with you?"

Alex nodded, smiling at Maggie fondly. "Pretty much, yeah."

Dee shook her head. "I swear, I don't recall her being this bad when she was younger."

Maggie glared at her mother. "Occupational hazard. Really though, why is he in the barn?"

"Maggie, it's November. You know all those people won't fit in the house. Where did you think they were all going to go? Did you think I was just going to have them standing out in the freezing cold?"

"And you call yourself a Detective," Alex chided playfully.

Maggie pointed her finger at her warningly. "Nobody asked you, Danvers." Maggie bent down and grabbed a 20-lb bag of flour. "Here, catch." Maggie threw the bag over the side of the truck, wincing slightly as it aggravated her sore shoulder. Alex's reflexes were as good as ever, and she caught the bag easily, sending her a smug look, as if to say, better luck next time.

"Maggie! Don't throw things at Alex, you could have hurt her," her mother reprimanded.

Maggie rolled her eyes at her mom, already reaching for the next item. "She's fine." Maggie handed the next item to her mother, having to bend low to pass it over, and once again straining her shoulder.

Dee narrowed her eyes immediately. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"What? No, I'm fine," Maggie insisted, knowing how her mother could get.

"Are you sure? It seems like your shoulder is bothering you," Dee persisted.

"It's nothing."

"So you did hurt yourself!"

Maggie sighed. "I just bumped my shoulder. It's no big deal."

"I knew it! I told your father that he shouldn't have had you and Alex out there today." Maggie wisely didn't point out that it was, in fact, her mother that had insisted that Larry ask them to help in the first place. "Didn't I tell you to be careful? Do you need to go to the hospital to have it checked out?"

"Ma, Ma! Calm down. I'm fine. And don't go all crazy on Dad, it didn't happen when Alex and I were tagging." Maggie realized her mistake almost immediately, but it was too late.

"How did you hurt it then?"

Maggie felt her face flush. There was no way she was going to tell her she had gotten hurt when she was having sex with her girlfriend in her childhood bed, and had fallen onto the floor. Some things parents just did not need to know.

"Well?" Still getting no response from Maggie, Dee turned her attention to Alex. "She hurt it working didn't she?"

Alex coughed slightly, her own face flushing in embarrassment. "Uh, no. That is, not exactly. She, umm..It was..."

Dee diverted her attention back toward Maggie. "I don't know why you two can't just tell me what happened."

"Because it's not a big deal," Maggie replied defensively. "Why can't you just let it go?"

"Because you are hiding something, and I want to know why. What could be so bad that you can't just tell me." Dee paused for a moment, realization finally dawning. "Oh."

"Yeah." Maggie responded, mortified.

"Oh god," Alex muttered, closing her eyes.

Dee looked back and forth between the two. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about girls. I do know that you two have se-"

"Oh my god Ma! Stop. Please. I beg of you."

Dee shrugged. "I'm just saying. I was once young and.."

"Ma, I swear, if you don't stop, I am going leave you to haul the rest of this stuff in the house alone."

Dee held up her hands in surrender. Maggie wasn't sure if her mother took her threat seriously, or if she finally took pity on poor Alex, who looked like she might be suffering from a mortal case of embarrassment. "Okay, okay. I won't say another word." Dee was silent a moment. "I just hope this isn't a common occurrence. You girls really should be more careful."

"Ma!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never lived, or worked, on a tree farm (I did see one once though! very exciting stuff) so if anything was horribly inaccurate, deepest apologies. I suspect a realistic depiction of life on a tree farm is not what attracted you to this fic, but if it is, mea culpa.


	5. Chapter 5

The early morning sunlight woke Maggie long before she was ready to face the day. Groaning quietly, she turned onto her side to burrow her face into Alex's neck. Instead of the soft, sleep warmed skin she was expecting, she was met with a face full of fur.

Cracking one eye reluctantly, she met the unrepentant, and blinking gaze of the kitten who was once again curled up beneath Alex's chin. She narrowed her eyes, trying to look as threatening as possible. "We're going to need to come to some kind of arrangement if you are going to stick around," Maggie whispered, not wanting to awaken Alex. It was rare for Maggie to actually be the first one awake, but when she was, she liked to savor the experience.

The kitten continued to stare at her, clearly in no hurry to give up his resting spot. Maggie couldn't say she blamed him, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She pointed a finger in his face. "That is my spot, so don't get too comfortable. I should have left you down in the laundry room," Maggie grumbled under her breath.

Instead of being intimidated, the kitten decided that it was playtime, and reached out one paw to bat at Maggie's finger. Not wanting the motion to disturb Alex, Maggie quickly started to stroke him under the chin, hoping it would distract, and calm him down. Her attempt at misdirection worked, and it was only moments before he had resettled, eyes closed tightly, and a tiny purr rattling his chest.

Maggie continued her caress, and had to admit, he was actually kind of cute. For a cat.

Despite her efforts, barely a minute passed before she felt Alex start to stir beside her. While Maggie tended to face the start of each new day as a form of personal attack, Alex almost seemed to relish the start of each new day. Maggie tried not to hold this character flaw against her.

Eyes blinking open, and slowly coming into focus, Alex stretched her arms above her head, as she did most mornings. The shift in position reawakened the kitten, and he took the opportunity to stretch as well, draping himself across Alex's neck like a tiny, purring scarf.

Maggie watched as Alex's eyes softened even more, and a small, involuntary smile curved her lips. Reaching up, she scratched lightly at his head. She turned her head to the side to find Maggie studying her intently.

"'Morning," Alex rasped softly.

"Morning," Maggie replied, leaning in to kiss Alex softly. A tiny tail flicked up, breaking the kiss before Maggie was ready. Maggie once again glared at the kitten. "He and I are going to have a real problem."

"I don't think he's doing it on purpose," Alex defended, continuing to pet the animal.

"Either way, he's in my spot."

Alex raised her eyebrows. "Your spot?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Maggie teased.

Alex laughed, and rolled her yes. "No. I just didn't peg you as the type to get jealous over a kitten."

"Well, I've never had to compete for your affections before." Maggie frowned, not entirely joking when she replied, "I can't say I'm enjoying the experience."

"I'm sure you'll survive. It's only for another few days," Alex replied somewhat sadly. Maggie almost brought up Alex keeping the kitten again, but decided not to push the issue.

"At least one of us is confident I'm going to survive this day," Maggie retorted, rolling over onto her back to stare at the ceiling. Alex removed the kitten from around her neck and rolled onto her side, reaching out and resting a comforting hand on Maggie's stomach.

"Is it really going to be that bad? I always got the impression you got along well with your family."

"I do." Maggie was quick to assure her. "I just know they can be overwhelming for outsiders. There are a lot of them. I mean, a lot." Maggie turned her head to look at Alex, reaching up to comb her hand through Alex's messy hair. "I just don't want you to regret agreeing to come."

"Maggie, I'll be fine. I do track and apprehend hostile aliens for a living. I'm sure I can handle a group of midwesterners." Maggie scoffed, and Alex pinched her in the side, before her expression grew serious. "Seriously, don't worry about me. I just want you to enjoy being with your family. Speaking of, we should probably get up. We did promise we would help your mom and dad get things ready for the party this afternoon."

"Don't remind me," Maggie groaned. "I still don't see why we have to help get ready for a party that is supposed to be for us, but whatever."

"Up!" Alex commanded, throwing back the covers and swinging her legs over the side.

Maggie propped herself up on her elbows and watched Alex as she gathered together her shower supplies, and clothes for the day.

"I don't suppose there's any chance I could convince you to let me jo-"

"Keep dreaming, Sawyer," Alex called back over her shoulder as she exited the bedroom.

Maggie flopped onto her back with a groan. The kitten, with his preferred perch gone, decided that Maggie would have to do, and jumped into the center of her chest. He circled a few times, before settling down. Maggie reached up and started petting him absently. "At least someone still values my company."

* * *

Maggie finished peeling the potato she held, dropped it into the pot, and reached for another. She was deliberately not counting, because sometimes, ignorance was bliss. Craning her neck, she strained to get a better viewing angle of the barn through the small window above the kitchen sink. Unfortunately, the object of her curiosity was not in view.

"If you don't pay attention to what you're doing, you are going to lose a finger," Dee chided.

Maggie tore her gaze away, and turned her head to look at her mother. "What? I wasn't...Ow! Shit," Maggie cursed, the peeler in her hand slipping and catching her knuckle.

"What did I tell you," Dee scolded, wiping her hands on her apron, and already walking over to assess the damage.

"I wouldn't have slipped if you hadn't said anything," Maggie insisted petulantly.

Dee shook her head, and turned on the faucet, thrusting Maggie's hand under the rushing stream. Maggie hissed slightly at the sting, but the water soon ran clear. Turning the water off, Dee quickly blotted it dry, and concluded, "You'll live. Pay more attention."

"I was."

"You have been staring out that window half the morning."

"What are they even doing out there?" Maggie asked, dropping the pretense. She had been staring out the window, or trying to, most of the morning. Her dad, in a very uncharacteristic move, had asked Alex to help him get things ready in the barn. Maggie had her suspicions that her mother was really behind the request.

"Your dad just needed a hand getting the lights, speakers, and portable heaters set up."

Maggie looked at her mother skeptically. "Since when does Dad ask anyone for help?"

"Since he knows what's good for him," Dee muttered quietly.

"I knew it! You made Dad ask Alex for her help. Why would you do that?" Maggie demanded. It wasn't that she thought her father would be rude to her girlfriend, she didn't. She trusted that he had told her the truth the other night, and that he was just looking out for her. And that is what worried her.

"They'll be fine," Dee insisted. "Besides, I wanted a little time alone with you before you leave in a few days."

Maggie eyed her mother suspiciously. "Why?"

"You've been seeing Alex for almost a year," Dee responded, sidestepping the question. Dee looked at Maggie pointedly, but when Maggie said nothing, Dee huffed, and continued. "What are your intentions?"

Maggie's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "Shouldn't that be your question for Alex?" Maggie took a moment to consider what she had just said, and whom she had said it to. "Actually scratch that, do not, I repeat not, ask that of Alex." Dee looked at her placidly. "I'm seriously Ma, do not."

Dee shook her head. "Maggie, calm down, I'm not going to have that talk with Alex."

"But you'll have it with me?" Maggie asked, relaxing marginally.

"She seems like a sweet girl."

"She is," Maggie replied, not sure where her mother was going with this.

"You've never had a relationship last this long. Not since college, and-"

Maggie held up a hand, cutting her off. "I know. What's your point Ma? I'm sure you have a point."

"I just want to know if you are serious or not. Is it so wrong for a mother to want to know if her only daughter may finally have found happiness?"

"Okay, first off, don't be dramatic. You act like I have been moping and miserable for years."

"Haven't you been?" Dee asked pointedly.

Maggie frowned. "No. I've dated. Had relationships," Maggie insisted stubbornly.

"That lasted how long?"

"Gee, thanks Ma. I've been having fun," Maggie replied defensively. She knew that her mother wasn't entirely wrong in her assessment. It wasn't that Maggie had been miserable, she hadn't. But she had been a bit gun shy, and had avoided any truly serious entanglements since college.

"And is that what Alex is? More fun?"

Maggie felt herself bristle immediately. If her mother was trying to elicit a reaction from her, it was working. "Alex is not fun." Maggie shook her head lightly. "I mean, she's not just fun, obviously we have fun. But she's more than that."

Dee regarded her steadily. "Do you love her?"

"What?" Maggie spluttered, not prepared for the question, though knowing her mother, she probably should have been. "I don't know. I mean...we have been together less than a year. We haven't even talked about moving in together." Dee continued to stare her down, not saying a word. For a woman that usually talked non-stop, her silences could be even more effective. Maggie sighed, shoulders sagging. "Yes. Of course. You've met her, how could I not. She's amazing."

"Have you told her?"

"No," Maggie replied immediately; defensively.

Dee sighed, shaking her head. "Maggie…"

"What?" Maggie demanded, crossing her arms across her chest. "It hasn't been that long. This is her first real relationship, not to mention her first ever with a woman. I don't want to rush her. Or freak her out."

"Is that the only reason?" Dee probed.

Maggie furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Dee walked over and stood beside Maggie, and draped one arm across her shoulders, pulling her into her side for a hug. "Are you maybe a little afraid?"

"Of what?"

"Of putting yourself out there again. Of giving someone else that kind of power to hurt you again."

Maggie sighed, knowing her mother was right. Mothers; they were worse than therapists for seeing through your bullshit. Maggie had tried to tell herself that she was waiting to tell Alex that she loved her, because she didn't want to rush the other woman. To potentially pressure her into something she might not be ready for. Her mother had seen to the heart of it though. Maggie wasn't being thoughtful. Maggie was being a chickenshit.

"That was ages ago," Maggie deflected weakly. "We were just a couple of stupid college kids."

"You may have been kids, but it clearly left an impact," Dee said quietly.

Maggie shrugged, not wanting to admit it, but not being able to deny it either. Junior year in college, after six-months of dating, and convinced she had found the one, Maggie had brought home her first serious girlfriend. The visit had gone fine, but the relationship had ended a few months later when her ex had decided she was too young to really settle down.

In the six years since, Maggie had dated, but she had always been careful not to get too serious. Something that hadn't been hard to accomplish. She quickly discovered that even if she wanted to get serious, which she really didn't, her job almost always got in the way. Until recently. Until Alex.

"Your father and I just want you to be happy," Dee insisted.

"I am," Maggie responded truthfully. And if she wasn't quite as happy as she could be, well that was an acceptable price to pay wasn't it?

* * *

"You're sure he wasn't a jerk to you?" Maggie asked. The two of them had finally been relieved of their party preparation duties so that they could get ready.

"Maggie, he was fine. Really. Stop worrying," Alex reassured. Alex tilted her head, looking at her in concern.

"You would tell me if he did anything? I know you don't want to cause issues between us, but if he did anything, I want to know."

Alex grabbed both of Maggie's hands in hers, looking her squarely in the eye. "Are you okay?"

Maggie recoiled slightly, brow furrowing. "Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You've just seemed a little...tense?" Alex shook her head softly, and shrugged. "He was perfectly polite. If he wasn't I would tell you. I promise."

Maggie nodded, accepting Alex's reassurance. She _was_ partly concerned that her dad may have said something to offend Alex. And knowing Alex, and her desire for Maggie not to have friction with her dad, Maggie was worried that she would keep it from her. The larger part of her distraction was that she was still hung up on the conversation she had with her mother.

"You ready to do this?" Maggie asked, hoping to break the air of seriousness that surrounded them.

Alex laughed nervously, flicking her gaze away, and breaking eye contact. "Yeah. I mean...How bad can it be, right?" Alex frowned. "They won't be offended if I don't remember all their names, right? I'm not always the best with names, and I don't want them to think that I am being rude. I will try of cour-"

"Babe. Chill." Maggie smiled at her, squeezing her hands reassuringly. "I'm not even sure I know all their names," Maggie half joked. However, it had been five years, and if her mom had invited the extended family, she was sure there would be a whole new crop of significant others, and kids, that she had never met before.

Alex disentangled their hands, smoothing them down her front, making a final check of her appearance. Alex had worried that her jeans and shirt wouldn't be "dressy" enough, but Maggie had laughed her off. If Alex had tried to wear anything dressier, she would have stood out in the crowd. As it was, she and Maggie would still be easy to tell apart from the locals.

"Ready?" Alex asked, a thread of nervous tension running through her voice.

Maggie sighed, knowing she couldn't put this off forever. "As I'll ever be," Maggie responded. She grabbed Alex's hand, entwining their fingers. Alex reached for the doorknob, but before she could turn it, Maggie halted her. "Wait."

Alex turned back, a small frown in place. "Did you forget something?"

"Just one thing," Maggie replied, pushing Alex back against the door, and kissed Alex soundly. She let herself sink into the kiss, knowing she wouldn't get the opportunity to kiss Alex again for hours. She had every intention of sticking by Alex's side all night, but she highly doubted Alex would welcome a makeout session in front of Maggie's family.

Breaking the kiss slowly, she pulled back to see Alex blinking at her, eyes slightly hazy. Maggie gave her a dimpled grin, and grabbed her hand once more. "All set. Now let's go join the craziness before Ma sends out a search party."

8n8n8n

"Maggie! It's been too long. You should visit your poor mother more. She loves you so much." Maggie had heard some variation of that comment, from almost every person she had greeted.

It had been a whirlwind ever since she and Alex had joined the party. Maggie, and by extension Alex, had gone from person to person, everyone eager to see her. Maggie knew that Alex was worried about not remembering their names, but with so many people to see, Maggie doubted she find her way back to too many of them before the evening was over.

Her dad, and Alex, had done a great job getting the barn into a habitable shape. Lights were strung up, providing ample illumination, and speakers had been scattered around, to provide background music. Where her parents had found the audio equipment, Maggie had no idea, but she had learned long ago not to underestimate her mother when she got an idea in her head. Between the throng of people, and the scattered space heaters, the barn was actually a comfortable temperature, despite the chill in the air.

Due to sheer lack of space, the food tables had been set up outside the open barn doors. This also had the added benefit of encouraging some of the guests to spill outside, and relieving some of the crush.

"Hey, Aunt Josey," Maggie replied, forcing a smile onto her face, as her aunt enveloped her in a hug. She had long since given up trying to keep a hold on Alex, and had to content herself with just making sure she stayed nearby. She knew her aunt meant well, but she was getting more than a little tired of the familial guilt trips. Granted, she hadn't been home in a while, but it wasn't like her parents couldn't have come and visited her. "How are Lauren and Phil?" she asked, naming two of her cousins.

"Oh they're good." Her aunt looked around, trying to spot her children. "They're around here somewhere. They wouldn't miss your big homecoming. Lauren is finishing up her third year of Nursing school at Union."

Maggie smiled tightly, and nodded along. She was quite familiar with the the college, and it's religious leanings. It was one of the many reasons that she had never considered staying close to home for school.

"Phil has a job working as an equipment mechanic over in Liberty," her aunt continued. Aunt Josey leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I think he may be getting ready to propose to his girlfriend. She is the sweetest thing. His father and I couldn't be happier for him."

"I'm glad to hear they're doing so well. They were still in highschool when I last saw them," Maggie replied.

Aunt Josey beamed, clearly proud of her offspring. "Enough about them, how have you been? And who's this?" She directed her attention to Alex, who was standing silently by Maggie's side. Maggie knew this whole ordeal had to be excruciating for her girlfriend, but Alex hadn't uttered a word of complaint.

Maggie reached back, and wrapped her arm around Alex's waist, urging her forward. "Aunt Josey, this is my girlfriend Alex. Alex, Aunt Josey." Introduction complete, Alex extended her hand, but much like her sister, Josey waved it off, and enveloped Alex in a hug.

"It's so nice to meet you, Alex. We were beginning to think this one would never find someone to bring home," Josey confided.

Alex smiled, but Maggie could feel the tension running up Alex's back. Alex was putting on a good show, but Maggie could tell her girlfriend wasn't entirely able to relax. "It's so nice to meet you too," Alex responded graciously.

"How are you liking Blue Springs? Probably quite the change from the city."

Alex nodded her head. "It is definitely different, but I've been enjoying myself."

"Have you been able to do any sightseeing?" Maggie almost snorted at the question.

"Oh, well we went into Blue Springs a few days ago. Mostly we have just stayed close to home." Alex looked at Maggie, and smiled warmly. "We wanted to be able to spend as much time with Dee and Larry as possible."

Maggie thought that was maybe stretching the truth a bit, but she didn't correct Alex. Slight tension aside, she also couldn't help but notice how naturally Alex had slipped into the role of supportive girlfriend. Not that Alex wasn't normally supportive, she was. But she and Maggie had never really spent time around family before, not counting Kara and the Superfriends, and it was all just so...domestic. Settled. Alex was referring to them as a unit, as if she had been doing it for years.

Alex exchanged pleasantries with Josey for another few minutes, before Maggie was able to arrange their escape under the guise that she had seen someone waving at her from across the room.

Grabbing her hand, Maggie dragged her outside, into the cool night air. After the press of people inside, the brisk temperature was a welcome relief. The crowd around the food and drink had died down, and Maggie snagged a beer for each of them. She took a long pull, before turning to Alex with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry you are having to endure this," Maggie apologized.

"Maggie, you need to stop apologizing. They're your family, and they have all been really sweet."

"Even cousin Vince?" Maggie asked challengingly.

Alex grimaced, and took a sip of her beer. "Okay, maybe not cousin Vince," she conceded.

"I still can't believe that idiot hit on you. Right in front of me," Maggie growled.

"That was a little weird."

"A little weird?!" Maggie exclaimed. "He's lucky all I did was elbow him in the stomach. Who even does that?"

"Maybe he thought we were just friends?" Alex offered as a possible explanation.

Maggie scoffed, and looked at Alex incredulously. "Yes, because all women nearing thirty bring their platonic friends home to meet the family. You've met my mother, she can't keep anything to herself. He knew we weren't simply friends. Asshole."

"Well, I don't think he will make that mistake anytime soon," Alex reassured. Maggie smiled in grim satisfaction. It had taken him a little while to catch his breath after she rammed her elbow into his diaphragm. Served him right.

"So you're having fun?" Maggie asked.

Alex smiled softly, and moved in a closer, her shoulder brushing against Maggie's. "I am," she replied with a nod. "It's nice, a little overwhelming, but nice." Alex shrugged. "You know my family isn't exactly...close." Alex turned her attention back toward the barn, taking in the large, boisterous group of people. "Kara would love this," Alex confessed, a little wistfully. "When she came to live with us, she missed having a family so much. We tried, I tried, but I know it must have been so hard for her. She never talks about her family much, but I get the sense they must have been very close." Alex shook her head. "My family...After my Dad died...disappeared...My mom tried, but she...I just wish Kara had been able to experience a larger family."

Maggie wrapped her arm around Alex's back, and leaned her head to rest on her shoulder. Content to just soak up her presence, her warmth. It broke her heart that Alex could wish that for Kara, but make no mention of it for herself. "Well, next time we will have to invite her along," Maggie said seriously. She knew she had joked about it the night before, but this time she was serious.

Being back in Blue Springs had stirred up some mixed emotions, but she realized she really had missed everyone. They could be exhausting, and intrusive, and a little too loud, but they were her family, and she loved them. Even Vince.

Somewhere along the way, she had decided that she really did need to make more of an effort to come back and visit. And if she was going to come home more, there was no way she was going to leave Alex behind in National City.

"Next time?" Alex asked, her voice hopeful.

Maggie wondered at it, but then she realized that although they had been together almost a year, they didn't really make long range plans, or talk much about the future. Maybe it could be chalked up to their jobs, to knowing that tomorrow wasn't a guarantee, but Maggie decided that was going to have to change.

"Yes. Next time," Maggie teased lightly. "Do you really think my mother is going to let me get away with not bringing you from now on? I would never hear the end of it. And she would adore Kara. Finally someone who can appreciate, and eat, all of her cooking. She'll be in heaven."

"Your mom, or Kara?"

Maggie laughed. "Both," she admitted truthfully. "So no weaseling out, Danvers. You're stuck now."

Alex dropped her head to rest against Maggie's. "I think that sounds really nice."

Maggie tightened her arm around Alex's back. "Me too."

"Maggie! There you are. I've been looking all over for you." Maggie groaned at the intrusion, and turned her attention to the interloper.

A smile lit her features when she saw her cousin Colby approaching. He was her Aunt Bonnie's oldest son, and the two were the same age, and had basically grown up together. He was the one person that had made her not feel like a total outsider growing up.

"Colb, it's good to see you man," Maggie separated from Alex and wrap her cousin in a warm hug. "What have you been up to? It's been forever."

"Yeah, well who's fault is that? Would it kill you to visit once in awhile? Maybe pick up the phone?"

Maggie groaned, and punched him in the shoulder. "God, not you too. You sound like my Ma." Maggie turned back and grabbed Alex's hand. "Alex, this is my cousin Colby. Don't worry, unlike Vince, he values his life, and won't hit on you."

"He didn't!" Colby exclaimed, shaking his head. "Vince is a jackass. He did the same thing to Tony's girlfriend a few years ago." Colby shook his head.

"How'd that go?" Maggie asked with a laugh, well recalling her cousin Tony's temper.

"You notice how Vince's nose looks just a little bit crooked? About that well."

Maggie laughed. "I always did like Tony."

Colby gave Alex a close inspection. "I gotta say Mags. I'm kinda surprised Vince is still breathing. You've mellowed in your old age."

Maggie glared at her cousin, though there was no heat in the look. "Keep eyeing my girl like that, and you will discover just how much of a temper I still have."

Colby held up his hands in surrender, before offering one to Alex. "Sorry. I'm not a creep, I promise. I just couldn't resist the urge to harass Maggie here."

Alex accepted his handshake, and smiled in return. "Nice to meet you Colby. And no apology needed. It can be a hard urge to resist."

Colby laughed. "Sounds like you keep this one on her toes."

Alex bobbed her head from side to side. "I like to think so."

"I like this one Mags, you should keep her around."

Maggie rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Thanks for the advice. Now, was there a reason you ran over here or…"

"Oh, shit. I almost forgot," Colby exclaimed, hitting himself in the forehead. "Grandma was asking for you, and she was a little pissed. She wanted to know why you hadn't been by to see her yet. What with her being in such frail health and all."

Maggie's face fell. Her mother hadn't said anything to indicate that her mother was doing poorly. "Is she okay? I tried to go see her, but I kept getting waylaid by every aunt, uncle and third cousin between here and North Platte."

"She's fine," Colby said with a laugh. "She's just tired of waiting, and is getting impatient. So she sent me to track you, and Alex, down and bring you to her."

"You ass," Maggie said, hitting him again. "You actually had me worried."

Colby rubbed at his shoulder. "You didn't used to be so gullible. Or hit this hard."

"Yeah, well. I have a better sparring partner now," Maggie taunted her cousin, and gave Alex a significant look.

Colby tracked her gaze, and raised his eyebrows. "Really now? Aunt Dee said she worked in some super smart science job."

"I do," Alex confirmed. "But I don't spend all my day in the lab." Maggie bit back a laugh. "I like to get my heartrate up at least once a day."

"Oh, I'll bet you do," Colby insinuated with a knowing smirk, causing Alex to flush in embarrassment.

"Knock it off," Maggie commanded, pushing her cousin toward the barn. "Or I'll tell Gram that you were teasing me, and you know how well that went for you last time."

"Gram doesn't scare me anymore," Colby boasted.

Maggie gave him a pointed look, and tilted her head to one side. She blinked a few times, knowing smirk in place. "Really? Let's go find out," Maggie challenged. She grabbed Alex by the hand, not wanting to lose her in the crowd, and strode toward the barn.

"Maggie! Wait up!" Colby yelled out, scrambling to catch up with his cousin.

Colby managed to catch her within a few strides, she wasn't really trying to lose him, so much as make him squirm a little. All of the grandkids feared Gram. Not because she was mean, she had never been harsh with them as kids, but she also didn't cut them any slack. If they screwed up, she was quick to put them in their place.

Excluding her parents, her Gram was the person she had missed the most, and felt the most guilt over not seeing. Her mother would make sure to mention how much her Grandmother missed seeing her on their calls, and she had just added it to the reasons to try to avoid them.

As she approached her Gram, the undisputed matriarch of the family, Maggie started to feel unaccountably nervous. Which was stupid. Maggie knew her Grandmother loved her, and would be happy to see her, yet she still felt her heart start to race, and her palms grow damp. Alex felt it too, squeezing her hand, and giving her a silent look of inquiry; asking if she was okay. Maggie managed a weak smile, and shook her head, waving off the question.

As if sensing Maggie's presence, her Gram turned and met gaze. Eyes still alert, and sharp, betraying the woman's keen intelligence and wit, still intact despite her age. She was sitting in a chair that had been brought out specifically for her, a thick wool blanket draped across her lap. It had only been five years, but Maggie could that age was taking it's toll. While her Grandmother's mind appeared unchanged, the same could not be said for her body; the passage of time much easier to spot.

As she drew to a stop in front of her Gram, Maggie dropped Alex's hand, and bent down to wrap her in a gentle hug.

"So you finally decided to come by and see me," her Gram chided her gently.

"I'm sorry. I should have come sooner," Maggie apologized, tears pricking her eyes. They both knew she wasn't just talking about today.

"Well, you're here now," her Gram reassured her, hands rubbing soothing circles over her back. Maggie closed her eyes, simply absorbing the touch, and the memories it evoked. Her grandmother pulled out of the hug. "And your mother tells me you brought someone with you."

Maggie straightened, and turned to tug Alex, whom she had momentarily forgotten was still standing there, forward to be introduced to her grandmother. "Gram, my girlfriend Alex. By some miracle, she hasn't run off screaming yet."

"That is quite the accomplishment," her Gram teased, eyes twinkling. "It's nice to meet you, Alex. Her mother and I were beginning to despair that she would ever find someone," Gram revealed.

"Does everyone just sit around, and worry about me dying alone?" Maggie groused. She had heard some variation of, 'Oh Maggie, you finally found someone', all evening as well.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Nathan. Maggie has told me so much about you," Alex responded, choosing to ignore Maggie's comment.

"Call me Gram, honey, everybody else does. If you called me Mrs. Nathan, I'm not even sure I would respond."

Alex nodded her understanding. "Gram, then."

"I trust everyone has been welcoming?"

"Everyone has been wonderful," Alex answered. "My family is...much smaller, so it has taken a little getting used to." Alex bit her lip. "I'm afraid I still don't know most of their names."

Gram laughed, shaking her head. "Sweetie, I'm not sure _I_ remember all their names. And I gave birth to some of them."

"See, I told you not to worry about it," Maggie chided, backhanding Alex in the arm.

"Maggie, don't hit your girlfriend," her Gram scolded.

"I wasn't. That was just playing," Maggie defended. Her Gram just looked at her pointedly, until Maggie slumped. "Right. Sorry, Alex."

Alex looked at her, eyes brimming with suppressed mirth. "Apology accepted."

The trio continued to chat for another few minutes, no one daring to come and interrupt. Maggie had finally relaxed, her earlier anxiety fading, as though it had never been. She realized now it hadn't been anxiety, so much as guilt. Her feeling of contentment was short lived.

"Maggie, why don't you go get me something to snack on," her Grandmother commanded.

Maggie nodded. "Sure Gram, Alex and I would be happy to get you something. Anything in particular you want?"

Gram looked at her pointedly. "No, why don't you surprise me. And I'm sure you can manage to get the food without Alex's help. Take your time dear, no need to rush." The command was clear; her Gram wanted some time alone with her girlfriend.

She glanced at Alex, who was looking mildly panicked, and smiled apologetically. Maggie would happily run into a burning building, or face any number of Alien attackers, to ensure that Alex was safe. But she had her limits.

"Okay, Gram. I'll...be back in a few."

* * *

"You just left her there?" Colby exclaimed, giving Maggie an incredulous look. "Dude, she's going to kill you!" She had run into her cousin at the food table.

"Shut up, Colby. What the hell was I supposed to do? Gram told me to go. When Gram tells you to do something, you do it."

"Still though," Colby said with a shake of his head.

"Okay, enough about how much of an idiot I am. Tell me something to take my mind off the fact that I just abandoned my girlfriend, and that she probably won't speak to me for at least a week."

Colby gave it a moment's thought, before snapping his fingers. "Oh, you'll never guess who I ran into last month."

Maggie shot him a sideways look, not really in the mood for a guessing game. "Who?"

"Molly Nelson," he replied with a knowing smirk.

"Oh god," Maggie groaned. "Please tell me she didn't mention me," Maggie begged. She had made the mistake of thinking Molly had liked her in high school. So, after weeks of what she thought was flirting, she had mustered up all of her fledgling baby gay courage, and had asked her to prom. She had been rejected. Spectacularly.

"Oh, she did," Colby said with a grin. "Although, her girlfriend didn't seem too happy about it."

"No shit?" Maggie asked.

"No shit."

"She turned me down. Hard," Maggie remembered.

"I remember. You wouldn't leave your room for almost a week."

"It was humiliating!" Maggie insisted. It was why she was always careful to turn people down as gently as possible. Rejection was never enjoyable, but it didn't have to be mortifying.

"Well, it must have been her version of gay panic, because she apparently became a big ol'e lesbian after she left Blue Springs."

"Well we have that in common at least. Huh. I guess that makes another one to add to the list."

"What list?"

"The list of gay women, who tell me they're straight, only to later realize, maybe not so much."

Colby looked at her skeptically. "It happens often enough that you have a list."

Maggie smiled at her cousin smugly, and batted her eyes. "What can I say." Maggie looked at him thoughtfully, head tipped. "But you know all about that don't you?"

"It happened one time, Maggie! Once!" Colby defended. "I'm forgetting why it was I missed having you around," Colby grumbled.

Maggie patted him on the cheek. "Well, it's been fun catching up, but I really do have to go find Alex before she never speaks to me again. It's already been," Maggie glanced at her watch, "oh, shit. It's been almost ten minutes. Gotta go!"

Maggie only barely remembered to grab the plate of food she had assembled for her Grandmother. She wasn't sure if her Gram had actually been hungry, or had just used it as a ploy, but Maggie wasn't about to show up empty handed, and find out the hard way.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this, we have come to the end of my hiatus induced, fic writing binge. For me to produce over 60k words (between this and my one-shots) in a little over 6 weeks is...pretty much miraculous. 
> 
> I endured much vocabulary shaming from my beta during the course of this fic, but I realized that life is too short, and we should use the words we want to use. And I just..I want to use words like frisson, and copse, and surreptitiously. I also really wanted to use "tamp" but I bowed to peer pressure and removed it. 
> 
> But seriously, for everyone that has taken the time to read, kudos and comment - much thanks. As my beta can attest, I am a ball of self-doubt and barely suppressed urges to delete it all at any given moment.

You're seriously not going to tell me," Maggie complained, settling beside Alex on the sofa. She took a grateful sip of her coffee, careful not to spill any of the precious liquid.

"Maggie, leave the poor girl alone," Dee scolded her daughter, before Alex could respond. Alex smiled into her coffee mug, and Maggie scowled.

"It was a private conversation," Alex responded.

"She's my Grandmother!" Maggie cried.

The fact that Alex wouldn't tell her what she and her Gram had discussed the night before, was driving her slightly crazy. Alex hadn't been upset, not that Maggie had expected her to be, so she knew it wasn't anything _bad_ , but in some ways, that was even worse. Maggie's mom was definitely her mother's daughter, so the list of possible topics was almost endless. The fact that every time she brought it up, Alex would just smile at her enigmatically, was not helping matters.

Alex patted her on the knee. Maggie wasn't sure if the gesture was meant to be comforting, or patronizing; she suspected the latter. "I just don't see why you won't tell me," Maggie grumbled.

"Because you're so cute when you pout," Alex teased.

"I'm not cute!" Maggie protested.

"You should have seen her when she was little. One little pout, or dimpled grin, and her father would turn to putty," Dee confided.

"I can believe it," Alex admitted, giving Maggie a soft smile. Some of the ire she felt building at the two of them picking on her started to fade. "Which reminds me, Dee, I still haven't seen those baby pictures." All sense of goodwill gone, Maggie scowled at her girlfriend.

"I think I liked it better when you were nervous, and freaked out, about meeting my parents. This..." Maggie pointed back and forth between the two of them, and shook her head.

"I wasn't that nervous," Alex hastened to explain to Dee, shaking her head in denial. "I was just...I mean, it's a big step, and I didn't want to…"

Maggie snorted. "Right. Not nervous."

"It's okay sweetie," Dee said reassuringly, reaching over to pat Alex's hand. "You should have seen Larry the first time he met my Mom. I thought he was going to pass out from dehydration he was sweating so much." She shot Maggie a teasing look. "You'll see. Maggie takes after her father in some ways."

"Please," Maggie scoffed. "I'm a detective. I think I can handle meeting someone's parent without freaking out," Maggie boasted. Alex simply looked at her, one eyebrow raised slight, as if silently reminding her that Alex wasn't exactly a lab worker like they had told Maggie's parents. Truthfully, the idea of finally meeting Eliza, sent a frisson up her spine. On paper, and by reputation, Alex's mom was just as, if not more than, intimidating than her daughter. And somehow, Maggie doubted she? would possess the adorable awkwardness that Maggie found so endearing in Alex.

"I'll be fine," Maggie insisted.

"Mmmhmm." Dee turned to Alex. "You will have to remember to tell me how that goes, Alex. Do you girls have any plans to go visit soon?"

Alex spluttered slightly on the sip of coffee she had just taken. "No, not soon, no" Alex replied with a cough. "Mom usually comes to the city for Thanksgiving though." Alex gave Maggie a sideways glance. The two of them had not really discussed what they were planning to do for the holiday, and it was only a few weeks away.

Maggie typically volunteered to work holidays, since none of her previous relationships had ever come close to the holidays with family stage. Alex hadn't mentioned anything about Thanksgiving, so Maggie hadn't made arrangements to take the day off.

"Well, I'm scheduled to work that day, so I guess we'll have to wait a little longer to find out," Maggie said lightly, but she didn't miss the look of disappointment that flashed through Alex's eyes.

Dee looked back and forth between the two. "What were your plans for the day?" Dee asked, trying to change the subject, having picked up on the thread of tension that hadn't been there before.

Maggie shrugged, and looked at Alex. "No real plans." Maggie had plans for later, which her mother knew, but Maggie wanted it to be a surprise for Alex. "Figured we would stick around here, and help you and Dad clean up."

Dee shook her head, dismissing the offer. "You don't have to that. This is your vacation, you should relax and enjoy yourselves."

Maggie looked at her mother incredulously. "Where was this consideration yesterday when you had me peeling 30 pounds of potatoes? Or the day before, when we were traipsing all over the farm?"

"That was different," Dee responded, though Maggie didn't see how. "Besides, I seem to recall you managed to enjoy yourse-"

"And on that note, I am going to go see if Dad needs any help." Maggie stood up from the couch, and looked down at Alex. "Did you want to come with, or stay here with Ma?" In truth Maggie wanted a few minutes alone with her Dad, but she couldn't just ditch Alex without it looking a little suspicious.

Alex looked to Dee, silently asking if she minded her hanging around. "That would be nice. I can finally show you those baby pictures without any interference from this one," Dee responded, nodding at Maggie.

Maggie groaned. "Can you at least promise not to show her anything past junior high?"

"No. Now go," Dee commanded, shooing Maggie toward the door.

"I'm starting to remember why I have never brought anyone home before," Maggie called back over her shoulder as she exited the room. She only hoped that her mom would have the decency to skip the series of pictures of her when she had come down with chickenpox in the sixth grade. Her hopes were not high.

* * *

Maggie found her father in the barn, halfway up a 20 foot ladder, taking down the strings of lights that were criss crossing the barn. Maggie walked over and stood on the bottom rung.

"You know Ma would kill you if she found out you were up on that ladder with no one spotting you. 'What if you fall Larry? How would anyone know?'," Maggie joked, doing a fair impression of her mother.

Her dad looked down at her, hands full of lights. "I trust you won't be telling her. Or I may have to tell her about some of the mishaps you have had on the job, but apparently neglected to tell her about."

Maggie looked at her father, puzzled. "How could you possibly know about those? I know I didn't tell anyone back- Alex," Maggie huffed, realization dawning. Seriously, what in the world kind of conversations was her girlfriend having with her family? Maggie didn't like this, she didn't like it one bit. The warm glow of contentment that was spreading through her chest, belied her protest.

"Why didn't you tell us?" her father asked. Though not as adept at it as her mother, her father was no stranger to the guilt trip.

Maggie shifted from one foot to the other, feeling like she had when she was 16 and got caught sneaking back onto the farm at 2 AM. "I don't know," she replied with a shrug. "I know how much you and Ma worry. Everything turned out okay, so what was the point in telling you about it after the fact."

"Maggie, look at me," her father said sternly. Maggie reluctantly raised her eyes, and met her father's gaze. Instead of the scolding look she was expecting, all she saw was worry. "Your mother and I are going to worry. There's no way around that. You hiding when you're hurt isn't going to stop that." Her dad shook his head. "Your mother would be very upset if she found out you were keeping things from her."

"You're not going to tell her are you?" Maggie asked, slightly panicked.

"No," her dad replied. "As you said, there isn't much point now." He pointed a finger at her. "But in the future…"

"I will, I promise."

Larry gathered the light string into one hand, and made his way down the ladder. Feet firmly on the ground, he handed the bundle of lights to Maggie, and moved the ladder to the next section of the barn.

"Though, if you left Alex alone with your mother, it may be moot." Maggie groaned. Her father made a very valid point.

"Well, when I did that, I didn't realize Alex was spilling my secrets to everyone." Maggie eyed her father suspiciously. "What else did you guys talk about?"

Larry shook his head, and started climbing the ladder. "That's between her and me."

"Not you too," Maggie complained.

"Me too?"

"Gram pulled her aside last night, and she won't tell me what they talked about."

Larry laughed. "Well, she's still here, so it couldn't have been too bad."

"Yeah, well…."

"It's a rite of passage for everyone to have a one-on-one with your grandmother at some point. At least it's out of the way."

"That doesn't make me feel better at all."

"Sorry, Magpie."

Maggie looked at her father in genuine alarm. "You didn't tell Alex that was my nickname growing up did you?" The last thing she needed was her girlfriend having even more ammunition to tease her with.

"I don't believe it came up," her dad responded, and Maggie sighed in relief. "Though, I can't guarantee your mother, or grandmother, haven't let it slip." Larry looked down, and chuckled at his daughter's distress. "What on earth possessed you to leave Alex alone with your mother?"

Maggie groaned, and closed her eyes. "I wanted to make sure everything was set for tonight. I figured it would look a little suspicious if I made Alex go stand in the corner so we could have a private chat. I'm beginning to think I made the wrong choice."

Larry laughed. "Your mother loves you, she won't humiliate you. At least not too much."

"Gee, thanks Dad. You really inspire confidence."

"It's one of the perks of the job. But to answer your question, yes, everything is set up and ready. I just need to get the overnight bag."

Maggie nodded, her anxiety and uncertainty, spiking. After the confrontation with her dad, and the conversation that had followed with Alex, Maggie had felt the need to do something special for her girlfriend. It was obvious that Alex was missing her father, and Maggie had wanted to do something, however small, to allow her to feel closer to him.

She remembered Alex mentioning that she and her dad used to stargaze, and while Nebraska didn't have a lot of things, one thing it did have in abundance, was wide open sky with tons of stars. So, when Maggie's parents had announced that they had to go into Lincoln for supplies, Maggie had slipped her father a list of things she needed to set up the surprise for Alex. A tent, a few sleeping bags, a couple pairs of binoculars, and Maggie had everything she needed.

Now that the day was upon her, she was starting to doubt herself. Would Alex appreciate the gesture, or would she think it was stupid? Maggie found it easy to show Alex that she cared in the little ways; she always made time to sit and listen if Alex had a bad day, or a good one; she would draw her a bath, or give her a massage, if the physical toll of the job was particularly demanding; she knew how she took her coffee, and her favorite take-out orders. But all of those things were minor, and while she knew Alex appreciated them, appreciated that someone cared enough to do those things for her, they were easy for Maggie to shrug off.

The little gestures were easy to attribute to just being a half-decent girlfriend, or human; they were dismissable. Big, grand gestures, were harder to explain away. To do the big thing, was to open herself up to rejection, or ridicule. Not that she thought Alex would laugh at her; she didn't. But if Alex thought it was a stupid idea, Maggie knew she would still feel the sting.

There was still time to back out, but Maggie realized that even if it was scary as hell, she didn't want to. Alex asked for very little, expected less, and she deserved someone that would take the time to show her how much she was valued, how special she was. Maggie's only regret was that it had taken her this long to actually do it.

"Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate it. You set everything up where I asked?" Maggie asked, rubbing her hands in an unconscious gesture of nerves. Maggie had chosen a location at the far edge of the property. It was well away from any man made structures, ensuring both a lack of ambient light pollution, and privacy. She had also wanted to find a spot that was cut back enough to ensure a good view.

"Everything is exactly as requested," her Dad reassured. "And Maggie? Good luck."

Maggie laughed, shaking her head. "It's not like I'm proposing," she joked, trying to downplay just how much tonight going well meant to her.

"I know...Just...Good luck," her Dad replied with a smile.

"Thanks, Dad." Maggie looked around the barn, seeing that her Dad was working on the last string of lights. "Do you need my help with anything out here, or…?"

"I'm fine. You go on." Her Dad grinned at her teasingly. "Maybe if you hurry you can get back to the house before your Ma reveals every embarrassing incident from your childhood."

* * *

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Alex questioned, as she stumbled after Maggie in the dark. Maggie held firm to Alex's hand, and kept walking, sweeping the flashlight across the ground in front of them to ensure they didn't trip.

"Yes," Maggie huffed. "Have some faith."

"I do," Alex hastened to assure her. "I just didn't think this was what you had in mind when you asked if I wanted to go for a walk." Knowing that they would be leaving in the morning, Maggie and Alex had decided to spend the day with Maggie's parents. After they had eaten dinner, and the sky had finally grown black, Maggie had asked Alex if she wanted to go for a walk around the property. Alex had given her a slightly puzzled look, but agreed. Flashlight in hand, they had set off.

Maggie was beginning to wonder if maybe she should have suggested an ATV ride instead. She had thought the starlit stroll would be romantic, but it was turning out to be more an exercise in not falling and breaking her neck. The ground was uneven, and while there were clear paths, they had to cut through a few sections of trees, and she had to be careful not to trip over a stump, or fall into a hole. It was too late to turn back now though, they were almost there, so Maggie gritted her teeth and pressed on.

Luckily, it was only another few minutes before they broke out of the last copse of trees, and entered the clearing. That's when Maggie's nerves really set it. Up until this point, she could have turned around, and pretended that they really had just been going for a walk. As they approached the small, makeshift campsite, she knew that time had passed.

She knew the moment Alex spotted the small tent, illuminated by the soft glow of two electric lanterns, because she stumbled and came to a stop.

"Come on," Maggie urged, tugging her forward and continuing toward their destination. Maggie glanced at Alex, but it was hard to make out her expression in the dark when the only illumination was the backlight of her flashlight.

"You said you had never been camping, and I know this isn't exactly camping, but I thought, while we're here, if you wanted to, we could have a grown up version of a backyard camp out." They reached the tent, and Maggie glanced at Alex again, better able to see her expression in the light provided by the lanterns.

Alex just stood, silent, and unmoving, save for her eyes which were darting around, trying to take the whole scene in. Maggie felt her nervousness spike.

"We don't have to though. If you don't want." Maggie looked around at the scene she had set, and started to feel like an idiot for ever having thought this was a good idea. Why on earth did she think that Alex would want to spend the night in a tiny tent, sleeping on the ground, in the middle of tree farm, in Nebraska on the cusp of winter?

"You know what? This was a stupid idea. We can head back." Maggie, tugged on Alex, but the other woman refused to budge. Maggie just wished she would move, or say something; the silence was starting to kill her.

"Maggie?" Alex finally spoke, her voice catching slightly.

"Yeah?" Maggie responded nervously.

"Thank you. I love it." Alex turned so that she could look Maggie in the eye. Even in the dim light, Maggie could see that Alex's eyes were wet with a sheen of unshed tears.

"Yeah?" Maggie replied hopefully, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Of course." Alex tipped her head. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

Maggie shrugged, mildly embarrassed. "I don't know. It seemed like a good idea, but then the more I thought about it, the more I started to wonder if it was...too cheesy?"

Alex reached out, and adjusted Maggie's hair, a habit she had developed, and one Maggie always found comfort in. "You're an idiot," Alex told her fondly. Alex looked around once again. "Now, show me what you have planned for me."

Maggie started slightly, and released Alex's hand. "Oh. Right." She panned her flashlight, and stopped on a small cooler. "Well, it wouldn't be camping without beer, and hotdogs cooked on sticks."

Alex grimaced. "Sounds...sanitary."

"You have to get a little dirt in your food, or it's just not camping," Maggie insisted.

"Right. Of course," Alex replied with a nod. "Proceed."

Maggie moved her flashlight to land on the small fire pit, bracketed by two camp chairs. "Camp chairs, because no one wants to sit in the dirt. And the finest in Nebraskan fire containment, an old tire rim."

"Very nice," Alex teased.

"I spared no expense," Maggie quipped, leaning over to kiss Alex on the cheek. "Oh! I almost forgot." She swung the flashlight quickly, directing the beam to the small two person tent. "Our accommodations for the evening. Complete with foam sleeping pad, and a double sleeping bag," Maggie informed her with a hopeful smile.

"Truly a five-star experience," Alex teased.

"Well, technically, it's a few billion," Maggie corrected, looking up.

"Okay, that was bad."

"But you loved it anyway."

Alex sighed, entwined her fingers with Maggie's, and tipped her head until it was resting against the detectives. "But I loved it anyway."

Maggie turned her head, and kissed Alex on the cheek again. "I had Ma pack our sweats. Why don't you change into something a bit warmer, and I'll get the fire going. There should be some blankets in there too."

Maggie got to work starting the fire, and by the time Alex had emerged from the tent, she had a small blaze going steadily. Alex joined her, and wrapped her arm around Maggie's back, snuggling against her side.

"So, good surprise?" Maggie asked, still a little unsure.

"Great surprise," Alex responded immediately. "How did you manage to pull all this off?"

"My Dad, mostly," Maggie confessed. "I had him pick up the stuff I needed when he and Ma went into Lincoln the other day." Maggie still had one more element of the evening to reveal, but even given Alex's positive reaction so far, she was still nervous. "Do you think you can watch the fire, and keep the tree farm from burning down, while I change?"

Alex laughed. "I think I can manage, yes. Go."

Maggie ducked into the tent, and quickly stripped off her pants, changing into a pair of fleecy sweats. She dug to the bottom of her bag, and retrieved the two pairs of binoculars she had asked her Dad to leave for her. Exiting the tent she walked back to the fire to find Alex sitting in one of the camp chairs, staring intently into the flames.

Maggie stopped beside Alex, and rested lightly against her side, being careful not to put weight on the arm of the chair and sending Alex toppling to the ground. She stroked her fingers through Alex's hair, and tried to push down the last of her nerves.

"So, I was thinking," Maggie began nervously, "I remember you telling me that you and your Dad used to sit out and look at the stars. That he taught you all the constellations, and you would compete to see who could find things with your telescopes the fastest. And well, I don't really know anything about astronomy, and I couldn't find a telescope, but I did some research, and binoculars are supposed to be pretty good for novices. The wide field of view is really good for tracking, and you can still find some of the bigger Messier objects. And I just thought, if you wanted, you could teach me." Maggie shrugged, well aware she was rambling, but not being able to stop, because Alex still wasn't saying anything. "And that maybe, while it doesn't get your Dad any closer, maybe you would feel a little closer to him."

Alex stood up so abruptly that Maggie staggered back in surprise. Before she had time to panic that Alex was about to storm off, because this was obviously the worst idea ever, Alex was crushing her in a tight hug. Alex buried her face in the crook of Maggie's neck.

"You okay?" Maggie whispered, brushing the hair back from Alex's ear. Alex nodded silently into her neck. Maggie rubbed soothing circles across Alex's back, content to stand here for as long as Alex needed.

Alex loosened her grip, and pulled back, a few moments later. Maggie saw her wipe surreptitiously at her eyes, but didn't say anything.

Alex cleared her throat. "And you call me a nerd?" Alex asked.

Maggie could tell she didn't want to draw attention to her emotional reaction, so she went along with the deflection. "Yeah, well," she replied with a shrug. "I do know how to research things. I am a Detective."

Alex leaned forward and gave Maggie a lingering kiss. "You are also a very sweet girlfriend." Maggie blushed, glad for the cover of darkness. "Thank you."

So Maggie grabbed the blankets, and spread one on the ground a fair distance from the fire, so the light wouldn't interfere. They cuddled up under the other one, and Alex spent the evening showing her the Pleiades, and telling her the story of the Seven Sisters; pointing out Cassiopeia, and exploring the rich field of stars in the Double Cluster found nearby; and just laying back, and trying to count the number of falling stars they could see when the Northern Taurids decided to put on a show.

And when it got too cold to lay on the ground any longer, they retreated to the campfire, and Maggie insisted that Alex had to have a S'more. And when Alex's hands started to burrow under the layers of Maggie's clothes to find warm skin, they retreated to the tent.

* * *

"What's on your mind," Maggie asked, tenderly wiping some sweaty tendrils of hair off of Alex's face, and leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead. Alex was cuddled into her side, tracing idle circles on Maggie's rapidly cooling chest.

There had been something different in their lovemaking. Alex had been almost desperate in her need to keep Maggie close. Every time Maggie would attempt to make her way down Alex's body, she would be pulled back up. She had finally stopped trying, and had settled onto Alex, content to exchange kisses if that's all Alex wanted.

It hadn't been, and Alex eventually relented, letting Maggie provide the relief that they had both badly needed after what seemed like hours of buildup. Now, in the afterglow, it was clear to Maggie that whatever had driven Alex's neediness, was still weighing on her mind.

Alex shook her head softly. "Nothing. It's not…."

"Alex," Maggie cut in before she could finish. "How many times do I have to tell you that what you think is important, that what you want is important, that you're important."

"Apparently a few more," Alex mumbled, chastened.

Maggie squeezed her tighter, the closest she could come to a proper hug in their current position. "Now what's running through that big brain of yours?"

"I don't want to ruin it," Alex said softly, turning her face into Maggie's shoulder.

"Ruin what?"

"This. Tonight. Us." Alex answered, though it wasn't really an explanation. At least not one that Maggie understood. She frowned, perplexed; she couldn't imagine anything that Alex would have to say that would ruin her current state of euphoria, let alone their entire relationship.

"You gotta give me more to go on Al," Maggie prompted her softly.

"I just...This whole week, has been...I've never felt so….It's been amazing," Alex finally concluded.

"That sounds like a good thing, babe. Why would that ruin anything?"

"It's just getting...harder...for me to...I'm just so tired of ..."

"Tired of what Alex?" Maggie asked gently, prompting her girlfriend to continue.

"I'm just so tired of not telling you how I really feel about you," Alex confessed quietly. "I feel like I've felt like this for ages, and it's just getting harder and harder to keep it to myself." Alex met her gaze, the raw emotion easy for Maggie to see, even in the soft light of the moon. "I just...I love you so much, Maggie..."

"Oh, Alex," Maggie breathed out quietly. How was it that this woman, this amazingly fierce, yet at the same time fragile and vulnerable woman, kept finding the courage to put Maggie to shame. Maggie had been telling herself for months that it was too soon to tell Alex how she really felt, but she had to wonder if the real reason wasn't that she had been afraid of rejection. And here was Alex, once again laying her heart bare at Maggie's feet. Maggie felt such a strong, confusing, mix of self-recrimination and awe.

She felt Alex start to pull away, and instinct had her tightening her grasp, holding the now struggling Alex in place.

"Let me go, Maggie," Alex practically growled. Maggie realized that Alex had misinterpreted the breathy utterance of her name, and following silence. And who could blame her really, considering their history with Alex's confessions to Maggie.

"Not gonna happen," Maggie insisted, fighting to maintain her grip on the still struggling woman. Maggie knew if she really wanted to, Alex could escape, and do a significant amount of damage in the process. "What kind of girlfriend would I be if I let the woman I love run out into the cold Nebraska night bare assed naked," Maggie joked.

"Maggie, I said let me….wait...What?" Alex asked hopefully, and finally stopped struggling.

Maggie smiled at her, eyes bright even in the darkness. "I said what kind of girlfriend…"

"No," Alex insisted, shaking her head.

"I love you," Maggie whispered. She connected their lips in a soft, lingering kiss, letting it speak to the sincerity of her words. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. I was...I guess I was just being a coward, and I'm sorry."

"What were you afraid of?" Alex asked softly.

Maggie gave a short laugh. "Who knows? Being rejected, being told thanks, but no thanks." Maggie paused, knowing that while fear of rejection was part of it, it wasn't all of it. Just the opposite in fact. "Fear that you would feel….obligated..I guess." Maggie shook her head. "You have spent so much of your life putting other people, and other people's wants and feelings first. I just didn't want you to feel trapped," Maggie confessed weakly. "This is all still so new to you Alex…"

"Maggie," Alex sighed, shaking her head. "Is the fact I have never done this before constantly going to be an issue for us? I may have not been with a woman before you Maggie, but you act like I lived like a hermit. I didn't. I may not have enjoyed it much, but I did my fair share of dating in college. I know what it feels like to date the wrong person. To be with the wrong person."

"Yeah but Alex, that was always with men," Maggie protested softly.

Alex let out an aggrieved huff of breath. "Yes, I'm aware. I'm not with you because you're a woman Maggie...I mean, yes, the fact that you are a woman is an important part of why I'm with you, but it's not the most important part.

I'm with you because you are amazing, and strong, and you make me laugh. You're loyal, and caring, and I feel like I can finally be myself, my true self, with someone. I don't feel like I have to hide parts of who I am with you Maggie. You get me. You make me feel safe enough to actually _be_ me.

That's why I'm with you Maggie." Alex paused. "Well that and the fact that you are amazing in bed," Alex joked, breaking the emotional charge that had built up.

Maggie chuckled. "Good to know where your priorities are."

Alex shrugged, unrepentant, and snuggled back into Maggie's side. "A girl has needs, Sawyer."

"For which I am eternally grateful," Maggie replied, wrapping her arms tightly around Alex's back, and kissing her on the top of the head. "I'm sorry it took me so long," Maggie said apologetically.

"It's okay," Alex reassured her. "I'm used to beating you by now."

* * *

"Ma, you have to let me go, I can't breathe," Maggie gasped, only half joking. She had received her share of bone crushing hugs from Kara, and her Ma was giving the Girl of Steel a run for her money.

"I'm just going to miss you so much," her Ma cried, keeping Maggie pressed tightly to her chest. Maggie patted her back soothingly, and tried to pull away. She managed about a centimeter.

"I know, Ma. I promise, I won't wait so long to visit next time," Maggie reassured her Ma.

"You better not," Dee scolded, releasing her grip enough for Maggie to finally pull back. "I already got Alex to tell me if you "forget" to call home on a regular basis." Maggie dropped her mouth open in shock. Her mother gave her knowing look. "What? Did you think I didn't know? Mothers know these things Maggie." Maggie had the good grace to look ashamed, and dropped her eyes. "I also informed Alex that she better not think she was getting out of regular calls either."

"Ma, Alex is really busy. She might not always have time to-" Maggie cut off, seeing her Ma's stern look. "I'll make sure she finds the time."

Dee reached out and patted her daughter's cheek. "See that you do, sweetie." Maggie took it for the warning it was.

Maggie glanced around quickly, and seeing that Alex was preoccupied saying goodbye to Larry, and giving Gertie one more vigorous belly rub, Maggie leaned in close to her mother.

"So, you are going to keep the kitten inside like we talked about right?" she whispered, not wanting Alex to overhear. "I'm going to talk to a friend about coming to pick him up when I get back home."

As much as Maggie would have loved to take the kitten with them today, there was simply no way to arrange all the shots that would be needed to get the animal cleared to board the plane. So she had to go with plan B.

"I will," Dee promised. She looked at her daughter skeptically. "I still don't know what kind of friend agrees to come all the way to Nebraska to pick up a kitten."

"Don't worry Ma. I have connections. I got it covered."

"You have connections? Since when do you have connections?"

"And you'll make the pies?" Maggie asked, ignoring the question.

"Yes," Dee huffed. "Though I still don't see what kind of person can eat _that_ many Chocolate Pecan pies."

"You'll see," Maggie replied with a smirk. Her Ma was going to kill her when Supergirl showed up, all bouncing excitement and blinding smiles, to pick up the tiny kitten and return it, and the pies, safely to National City.

After another round of hugs, and more than a few tears from Dee, Alex and Maggie were in the car and headed toward Lincoln. Maggie reached over the console and grabbed Alex's hand, needing the physical connection in that moment. She would never admit it to her Ma, but leaving Nebraska had left her a little emotional.

"You okay?" Alex asked, rubbing her thumb over the back of Maggie's hand.

Maggie nodded, eyes on the road ahead. "I am. I just...didn't expect leaving to…hit me like this."

"It's your home Maggie, of course you're sad to leave."

Maggie shook her head. She wasn't denying the fact that she was sad; she was. But this wasn't home. Not anymore. Home was National City. Maggie glanced sideways, and saw Alex looking at her in concern. Home, she was starting to realize, was the woman sitting beside her.

At some point this weekend, she realized that something in her had shifted. She still wasn't ready to commit to forever, at least, not yet, but in her mind "maybe" had become "someday". And maybe it was time she beat Alex to a relationship milestone, and brought up the idea of them moving in together.

"I am," Maggie admitted. "But, this isn't home anymore, and hasn't been for awhile. I just...I don't want to wait so long next time."

"Then we won't," Alex reassured her. "I know you will find this hard to believe, but I actually really enjoyed spending time with your family."

"Well, they all seemed to really like you too," Maggie told her. "Not that I can blame them. I have incredible taste."

"Such modesty," Alex laughed, shaking her head. "But really, if you want to come back a few times a year, we will. Besides, your Gram promised to tell me all sorts of stories about her little Magpie the next time I came to visit."


End file.
